30 Days of One True Pairings
by debster35
Summary: 30 days of my two favorite OTPs (Merthur and Destiel) sharing their journey with you! Dean and Castiel are just discovering their feelings for each other, while Merlin and Arthur are tightening their bond. I do not own Supernatural or Merlin. I'm part of a Uni-verse Role Playing group and these stories take place within this AU. Characters will be added as the story continues.
1. Day One: Holding Hands

Day 1: Holding Hands

The streets were packed with weekend shoppers and summer tourists. Dean hated shopping, especially on weekends. People pushed and shoved and were just complete assholes about everything.

The only reason Dean agreed to go shopping with Merlin and Arthur was because Cas had begged him to join.

"_Dean, please? We barely go shopping. Please?" Cas childishly, tugged on Dean's sleeve._

_Dean pulled his arm away and continued grilling the chicken on their mini grill, "Cas, you know I hate shopping."_

"_Yes, but you could use some new clothes. Plus, you need to get out of the dorm and hangout with your friends," Cas pointed out._

"_Fine," Dean growled. "But I swear to God, if you make me try on thousands of clothes…"_

"_No, no…I won't make you do that, and don't swear to God. He doesn't listen to those anyway."_

Now, Dean was strolling beside Cas, behind Merlin and Arthur, and avoiding as much contact with people as possible. Cas already had two bags from clothing stores. Dean had to admit, he liked the new shirts and pants they got. Especially this one blue shirt Cas got for himself…

Dean closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face, groaning.

"Oh come on, we're almost done," Cas said, eyeing an electronics store.

Dean ignored him. He was distracted by Merlin and Arthur in front of him. Arthur had grabbed Merlin's hand, pulling the dark haired boy closer to his side. Merlin laughed and nudged Arthur with his shoulder.

Heat crept up Dean's face as he continued to watch the couple teasing and laughing with each other. He looked at Cas who was staring intently at a frozen yogurt shop.

"You want some?"

"Hm?" Cas looked around to Dean. A kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar…

Dean chuckled, "You want some frozen yogurt? I saw you staring at it."

"Oh," Cas blushed, "Is it…is it good?"

"As someone who usually enjoys ice cream, frozen yogurt is just as good. Come on, I'll buy you some." Dean started pushing Cas towards the shop. He turned to Merlin and Arthur, "Hey we'll be over here. You guys want some?" Dean nudged his chin towards the shop.

Merlin shook his head, "No thanks, we're going to grab some pizza. We'll meet you in an hour?"

"Sounds good," Dean watched as Arthur threw his arm around Merlin's shoulders, yanking him towards the pizzeria. He gave Dean a quick wink, then glanced at Cas. Dean shook his head and guided Cas to the frozen yogurt.

Cas looked apprehensively at the machines that dispensed the yogurt and at the toppings bar.

Dean put his hand on the small of his back, smiling when Cas twitched at the touch, "Don't worry, they won't bite," He whispered in his ear.

"How does all this work?" He whispered back.

"You start by choosing a flavor," he pointed at the machines, "Then you put the toppings on."

After five minutes of deliberation, Cas chose toffee nut. He topped it off with the most unusual mixture of goodies. Captain Crunch, Twix, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough piled high, and all of it covered in caramel. Dean watched in amusement as Cas thought long and hard about each selection, a childish gleam in his eye.

Cas turned and looked shyly at Dean, "Is this good?"

Dean smiled, "If that's what you want, then ya, it's good."

Cas nodded and handed it to Dean. He paid for both of them (Dean got simple vanilla with S'mores toppings and chocolate syrup) and they sat on a bench nearby.

Cas' yogurt was gone within minutes. He scraped at the bowl until it was all gone.

"Um, so I'm guessing you liked it?"

Cas looked up at Dean and smiled, "I loved it. We need to get more of this." He licked away the caramel sauce from his lips. Dean's stomach fluttered.

Dean finished his yogurt minutes later. They walked towards the pizzeria where Merlin and Arthur stood, heads bent, whispering and giggling at something.

Dean glanced at Cas, his heart skipping a beat when their hands brushed each other.

_Come on, just grab his hand…just do it._

Dean's fingers twitched nervously as he reached for Cas' hand. When his hand finally found Cas', he pressed his palm to the angel's, entwining their fingers together. Cas looked at Dean, confused at first, but then he smiled and squeezed Dean's hand. Dean smiled back, letting out a sigh of relief.

Arthur had raised an eyebrow, Merlin beamed, and Cas just threw his head back laughing.

Dean didn't mind shopping anymore. As long as he got to hold Cas' hand.


	2. Day Two: Cuddling Together

Day 2: Cuddling Somewhere

The rain started late last night and was still going strong by six the next night. Merlin stood in the kitchen of the apartment, making tea. He hoped Arthur would come back soon. All he wanted was the warmth of Arthur's embrace to fight against the chill he felt in the apartment. Just the thought of the cold made him shiver.

The door burst open and a wet Arthur tumbled through, mumbling curses at the weather. Merlin leaned against the counter, snickering at Arthur. Arthur's hair dripped water all over the floor and his shirt and trousers were soaked all the way through.

"Ever hear of an umbrella? I'm told they're supposed to stop the rain from soaking through to your pants, dollophead."

Arthur mocked Merlin as he spoke, dumping the bags on the counter. "You better watch it, or you're not getting your biscuits," Arthur said, pointing a finger at Merlin.

Merlin's mouth popped open, "You wouldn't dare…" Merlin reached towards the bag, but Arthur was quicker. He snatched the bag away and held it behind his back. "Arthur!"

"Yes, _Mer_lin?" Arthur cooed his name. He walked towards Merlin, backing him up against the counter.

Merlin put his hands on Arthur's chest to push him away, but quickly withdrew them, "Ugh, Arthur, you're soaked-no-no, stop! Arthur!" Arthur had pressed his body against Merlin. Merlin's clothes soaked through instantly and he shivered at the chill. Arthur dropped Merlin's biscuits on the counter behind him, instantaneously wrapping his arms around Merlin, squeezing him so tight, that water drizzled onto the floor.

"Arthur, you're getting the floor all wet! Get off you great lump." Merlin's attempts at pushing Arthur away were feeble. Nothing could pry the wet, chuckling man away. "I hate you," Merlin mumbled into Arthur's neck.

Arthur kissed his temple and whispered, "Love you too, idiot." Arthur finally released Merlin and turned towards the fridge.

"Oh no you don't, go get changed and dry. We're having a movie night remember, and I am not sitting next to you like that." Merlin pushed Arthur towards the bedroom. Arthur swiveled around, forcing Merlin to lose his balance.

"You're all wet too. You should do something about that," Arthur said with a wink. He pulled Merlin into the bedroom where they fought over towels and who would wear what. In the end, Merlin was victorious as he sauntered out in Arthur's dark red sweats and one of his own gray t-shirts. Arthur settled on his blue shorts and red hoodie.

Arthur grabbed the thick afghan Merlin's mother had made for them, and settled onto the couch. Merlin poured the tea and pulled the biscuits out from the bag. He shuffled over to the couch, tripping once on Arthur's large pants.

"Why don't you wear your own pants? Then you wouldn't almost trip and spill the tea and biscuits all over the floor."

Merlin shrugged as he set the snacks on the table, "What, you don't like me wearing your pants? It doesn't…_turn you on_?"

Arthur squinted at the dark haired boy and grabbed him by the hips, pulling him onto his lap. Merlin let out a squeak of surprise and grabbed Arthur's hands that gripped at his sides.

"You are taking way too long to settle onto this couch, _Mer_lin," Arthur said into his ear. Merlin chuckled and shielded his ear with his shoulder. Arthur knew Merlin's ears were sensitive, especially to Arthur's whispers.

"I have to put the movie in, _Arthur_. Or do you want to stare at a blank screen?"

Arthur groaned as Merlin stood up and went over to the telly. "Well, now this view isn't too bad," Arthur said as he watched Merlin bend over to put the disc in. Merlin ignored him as he pressed play and walked back over to the couch, tripping again on the hem of the pants. They now hung low on Merlin's hips and Arthur could just see the top of his boxers and a sliver of skin.

"Damn pants," Merlin muttered, but he did nothing to fix them.

Arthur was glad he had already seen this movie. He wasn't sure if he'd be paying much attention to it.

Arthur stretched his legs out on the couch and waited as Merlin carefully crawled over Arthur's legs. Merlin laid his head on Arthur's chest and wrapped an arm around his middle. His legs tangled up with Arthur's. Arthur threw the afghan over the both of them.

Arthur shivered slightly as Merlin's body heat seeped into his skin. The blanket suffocated their warmth, not even a draft could be felt. Merlin rubbed his cold feet against Arthur's legs for a minute until he was content with his newly warmed feet.

As the movie finally started, Merlin nudged his head against Arthur's chest. Arthur could feel Merlin smile and he glanced down.

"Comfortable?"

"Hm, yes, are you?"

Arthur smiled, "Of course." He ruffled Merlin's hair and let his hand travel down Merlin's neck, his back, and settled it on the small of Merlin's back.

Arthur loved this closeness with Merlin; feeling his small frame against his more muscular one. His long legs tangled with his, Merlin's arms wrapped around his torso; this was Arthur's favorite thing.

As the movie came to end, Arthur glanced down. He smiled when he saw Merlin's eyes were closed, his breathing slow, and his mouth slightly opened. Arthur turned off the telly with the remote and burrowed under the blanket. His movement jostled Merlin, who groaned and unconsciously moved down with Arthur. Arthur stopped moving when he was finally comfortable. He watched as Merlin turned his head left, right, and then finally left again. He nuzzled his cheek against Arthur's chest as he mumbled in his sleep.

Arthur chuckled and tightened his arms around Merlin; his adorable idiot.


	3. Day Three: GamingWatching a movie

Day 3: Gaming/Watching A Movie

(With special appearances from some Sherlock and Doctor Who characters as part of my RP group. I do not own Sherlock or Doctor Who.)

Castiel stood on their tiny balcony, his eyes closed as the sun beat down on his face. After days of endless rain, this rare sun was a blessing. It was warm enough that Castiel actually put on shorts, which he never did.

"Dean, we should get out. I don't want to sit inside all day."

Dean looked up from the newspaper he was reading, "Well, what do you want to do?"

Cas shrugged, "I don't know, something outside. Maybe we could go to the park? What is there to do at the park?"

"Well-who's calling this early?" Dean reached over and picked up his phone.

"Hey Sam, what's up?"

Cas turned back to looking out over the balcony. Kids ran on the sidewalk below him, their parents yelling at them to stay close. Birds were tittering; a butterfly fluttering…God's creation was surely beautiful today.

Dean slapped a hand between Cas' shoulders, "Well, looks like we're going to play some soccer…football…whatever you want to refer to it as." Dean smiled at Cas.

Now, Cas wanted to enjoy the day outside, but he never played soccer-football-and he wasn't sure if he wanted to.

"I don't know how to play though. I'll just get in the way."

Dean wrapped an arm around Cas' shoulders, "Now listen here, do you think I'd let you go in not knowing what you're doing?"

Cas thought about it for a second and shook his head.

"Good, don't worry it's not as hard as it looks, just a lot of running. Come on let's get dressed."

Fifteen minutes later they were meeting Sam at the local café. All three boys wore shorts and t-shirts, Sam carried a ball under his arm.

"Where is everyone?" Dean asked.

Sam jerked his thumb over his shoulder, "They're heading over to set up the field. Hey Cas, ready for some human sport?"

Cas swallowed hard. To be honest, he was extremely nervous.

"Oh yeah, I can't wait," He lied.

"Don't worry, Dean and I will teach you the basics. First, you need to know that there are seven players on each team and there are two kinds of positions. There's defense and offense. There are also sub-positions, but you don't need to worry about that now."

"What position will I be playing?" Cas was a warrior of God, he was sure he could probably handle offense.

"We'll have to wait and see who's on our team."

They arrived at the park and Cas could see the field where they would be playing. There were two large nets on either side of the field, and people were milling around the grass, kicking balls and laughing with each other. The butterflies began to have a party in his stomach. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of the people he wanted to be friends with.

"Hey, you okay, Cas?" Dean asked. He placed a hand on Cas' shoulder and squeezed it.

Cas nodded, "Yea-yeah I'll be fine. Just…nervous, ya know?" He looked to Dean, hoping that being nervous was okay.

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, I feel ya…these guys are a bit intimidating. Soccer is a very popular sport over here. They can get a bit…aggressive."

Cas shot Dean a look of horror, "How aggressive?"

"Eh, let's just say it's very likely that there will be a lot of yelling, pushing, shoving, and blood. There will probably be blood, and because we are playing some backyard soccer here, rules are thrown out the window."

Cas could handle the blood and violence, but what if he got yelled at for doing something wrong?

Sam, Dean, and Cas approached a few familiar faces. All of whom had, what looked like, some kind of war paint on their faces. Dean wasn't joking when he said this group got into it.

"Hey guys! Glad you came," Merlin said as he bounded over to them. "Oh, but this needs to change, you guys need some war paint." Merlin bent down and dug up some mud off the field. Before Dean could protest, Merlin slapped the mud on Dean's cheeks. Sam started to laugh, but was cut off when Merlin turned to him and did the same thing. Cas was last and he wasn't sure if he liked this idea of putting mud all over his face, but at least it felt cool.

Merlin stood back and admired his work. Dean looked smug, Sam was indifferent, and Cas…well, he looked scared. "Perfect, alright, teams!" Merlin spun around and yelled the last word. Everyone who was on the field ran over to where they stood.

Cas let out a sigh of relief when he recognized everyone. He was also glad that everyone else had their 'war' paint on too.

Arthur stood up on a bench and used a motion with his hand to quiet everyone down.

"Alright, mates, here we are; a beautiful London day, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and here on this field, is where we do battle."

Merlin leaned over and whispered to Cas, "Arthur is great at giving speeches like this." He beamed up at his boyfriend, giving him the thumbs up.

"I've strategically planned the teams so that neither one is at an advantage, skill wise that is." Arthur jumped down from the bench and walked over to his bag where a white board laid on the ground. He picked it up and hopped onto the bench again.

"Team one is Sam, Cas, Mickey, Martha, Me, David, Amy, Lance, and John…" Castiel jumped when he heard his name. At least he was with Sam…

"Team two is Chris, Gwen, Rory, Merlin, Dean, Matt, Jack, Gwaine, and Rose. Are we good?" Some people nodded, others 'whooped' and threw their arms in the air. Castiel stood there…quiet and scared.

He felt a hand smack his butt. He grabbed his back side with both hands and turned to see who the culprit was. Dean was walking away from him. He was a few feet away when he turned around and gave Cas the cheekiest smile he'd ever seen.

"Looks like we're against each other," He yelled, "Better get yourself ready. I'm not goin' easy on ya!" He laughed and ducked Sam's back hand. Sam gave Cas a shrug and a "Whatchya gunna do about it" look.

Arthur came up behind Cas and guided him to where he needed to go. "Arthur, I have no idea what I'm doing. Where are you putting me?" It was time for Cas to freak out.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down there Cas. You've got nothing to worry about. You are on defense. All you do is try and stop the people who are coming at you with the ball, but, you have to stay on your side. Once you get the ball from whoever has it, then give it to another teammate. You can pass it to an offender or another defender. Got it?"

Cas had stopped breathing for a second. This was a lot. He nodded anyway.

"Good, oh and don't use your hands. You can use any other body part, but try and keep your arms out of the picture, okay?"

He nodded again, "Yeah…okay…" Arthur jogged off and left Cas at his position. Martha and Mickey were defenders too. Sam was their goalie. Cas wasn't sure what Sam's job was though. He seemed to be guarding the large net. Cas surveyed the field. So the offenders were going to be trying to get past Cas, and he must not let them do this. He saw the defenders for the other team, Rory, Merlin, and Gwen. He knew they were defenders because they were in about the same spot as him on the field, but opposite…

This was confusing. He was ready to give up and have someone else come in. Maybe Sherlock wouldn't mind joining…

Before Cas could make up his mind, Arthur blew a whistle and everything became hectic. The people on the front lines charged each other and spread out. People were yelling other people's names and announcing that they were open. Open for what? Oh, the ball…okay, they wanted the ball. Was Cas supposed to yell for the ball? He looked at his fellow defenders. None of them seemed to be yelling, but they were watching the ball intently.

This was all very familiar to battles between Angels and Demons. You had the front line that did most of the fighting. Then you had the second wave of warriors who were there to help the front line, to give them back up.

Cas decided to watch the ball, seeing as this was the object that everyone wanted. There was a skirmish between David and Gwaine at the moment. Gwaine was performing some intricate footwork with the ball, and David tried his hardest to take the ball from Gwaine. His own footwork didn't seem to be doing it so he grabbed Gwaine's shirt and tried pushing him away. Cas was sure this usually wasn't allowed, but his team was cheering David on.

Should Cas yell for David to continue his fight with Gwaine? He wasn't sure so he watched on.

Cas was about to turn and see what Sam was doing in all this, when he caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. Dean had shown up out of nowhere behind Gwaine.

"Gwaine!" He yelled. Gwaine kicked the ball back to Dean who then kicked the ball across the field to the other side. He was heading straight for Cas. Dean looked up and the gleam in his eye made Cas' heart flutter. Dean was sweaty and already had grass stains on the front of his white shirt.

Cas heard his name being yelled and saw Arthur waving frantically at him. He was pointing at Dean, "GO CAS! Get the ball!"

Cas jumped when he remembered he had to defend the field. He charged toward Dean. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he got there, but he'd figure it out. Cas thought Dean would at least be easy on him.

Cas was so wrong.

Dean came full force towards Cas. Cas reached his foot out for the ball and for a split second, he had control. He whipped his head around for someone to give it to, but Dean was on him again, literally, right on him. He could hear Dean's heavy breathing in his ear.

"Nice try Cas, but you aren't taking this ball from me." This fueled Cas with determination.

"Is that a threat, Dean" He tried to do what Gwaine did, but the ball went flying behind him and he chased after it. It came dangerously close to the big net and people were yelling so loud, Cas couldn't tell what they were telling him to do.

He felt his shirt get jerked back. Dean was on him again, fighting to get to the ball first.

"No!" Cas yelled. He had to get the ball before Dean did.

Cas pulled the ball back towards the field with one easy swipe and Dean went skidding across the grass. Some people laughed and others yelled. Cas spotted John waving his arms. No one was around him so he kicked the ball (very crookedly) in John's general direction. Just like that, the ball was on the other side of the field where his teammates and opponents went through similar trials.

"Damn Cas, it's kind of sexy when you get all aggressive like that," Dean said as he ran past him, giving him a wink over the shoulder.

The first half of the game went like this for some time. By half time, Cas' team had four points, but the opponents had five.

Donna and Morgana had brought home made treats and bottles of water for everyone. Cas inhaled his muffin.

So far, he was barely scraped, extremely sweaty and hot, but not a scratch on him. The offense on the other hand, they were covered in grass and dirt, sweat and blood. Many of them had bloody knees and scratches on the arms from being pulled away from the ball.

Cas searched for Dean, he was momentarily worried that Dean was hurt badly. He found Dean talking to Sam. He was going a mile a minute about a 'play' that Dean was a part of. Sam smiled and laughed and nodded his head. Cas saw Sam point in Cas' direction and Dean turned to look. Once he locked eyes with Cas, he strolled over.

"Where are your battle scars?" Dean asked, punching Cas' arm. Cas looked down and observed his unscathed body.

"Wasn't really on the front lines now was I?"

The corner of Dean's mouth quirked up, "No, you weren't, but you were a tough opponent in the beginning there. Nice move, Beckham."

Dean roared with laughter when Cas tilted his head and asked who Beckham was.

"He's a professional soccer player, Cas. Stop with your innocence…it'll distract me."

"Bu-what?" But Dean had sauntered off toward his end of the field. Cas assumed the game was about to recommence.

"Wait, Cas, we're gunna put you on offense, Amy wants a breather," Arthur hollered at Cas.

Cas froze and looked around, "Where do I go?"

"Next to me, buddy," Lance indicated the empty spot near him.

"You understand what to do now?" Lance asked. He was always nice, and Cas was glad he was near him. He nodded at Lance and observed him. His hair was a complete mess, sweat dripped down his face, he had fingernail scratches on his arm, and one very bloody knee.

Cas gulped back his fear. He could do this. He really could…Right?

The second half was intense…So intense that Cas thought he was going to die from exhaustion before the game was over. There was so much running on the offense end of the game. Only ten minutes into the second half and Cas already had scratches on his arms and sweat was pouring down the back of his neck. His shirt was soaked through. He wanted to take off his shirt so bad, but he wasn't sure if this was appropriate. Not two minutes later, Gwaine, Jack, Arthur, Lance, and Dean had ripped off their shirts, tossing them to the side.

Cas couldn't take his eyes off of Dean's naked torso. The way his back muscles rippled when he kicked the ball, and how the sweat shined off his chest. Cas could feel heat rising to his face, and it wasn't from running.

Thank his Father the ball came his way, or else he would've had to excuse himself from the game for a few minutes.

Matt was charging his way and Cas ran for him, but before he could get to the ball, Matt kicked the ball over to Rose who then kicked it to Jack and Cas had found himself tricked by the three. The ball was now behind him and heading towards their goal. Cas back tracked and swooped in behind Jack. By some luck, Cas had the ball and he turned back the other way.

He had a straight shot to the opponent's goal. Then, out of nowhere, Dean came charging in from his right. He slid right in front of Cas knocking the ball out of the way, and tripping the unsuspecting angel.

Cas fell forward and landed hard on his shoulder, which then forced him to do a front roll. He yelled out in surprise, and then grimaced in his pain. Lance lent him a hand and helped him up.

"You good?"

Cas nodded, "Yeah, I think so." He moved his shoulder to make sure it was still working. It hurt, but he was sure it was fine. It would probably be sore in the morning though. He was gunna make Dean pay for that…in more ways than one.

Cas turned and without thought he shot towards Dean who was dribbling (a word he learned) the ball towards his goal. The goal Cas was meant to protect at all costs.

With no shirt to grab, Cas clutched at Dean's forearm and tugged. Dean wrenched his arm away and tried rolling the ball back and go behind Cas. But Cas was expecting this, so he turned to his left and cut Dean off way before he could get to Cas' other side.

Dean looked surprised and Cas could see him begin to panic as Cas trapped him against the side lines.

"What's wrong Dean, can't work your fancy footwork against me?" Cas jeered at Dean.

Dean just smirked back, "Guess again." He kicked the ball between Cas' legs and Jack was behind Cas, ready to go. Cas' shoulders slumped in defeat. "Next time, buddy."

Buddy? _Buddy?!_

Cas charged towards Jack and fought once again for the ball. By the time he finally had the ball and was going back towards the opponent's goal, he was kicked, jabbed, and elbowed. His body ached, but he wasn't giving up now. This goal meant a win for his team. If he didn't get this, they'd be at this game long past dark, and the sun had already begun to set.

He was close, so close, he was just outside the white line shaped like a large box outside the goal. Out of nowhere, Merlin came up, sweat pouring down his face and determination in his eyes. He was going to trip Cas, he just knew it. Before Merlin got to him, Cas cocked his foot and smacked the ball towards the goal. Merlin reached him just as the ball was airborne and he collided into Cas.

They crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Cas reached back and tried to catch himself, but all of Merlin's weight was on him and just as he heard his team cheering in victory, Cas heard a loud pop.

~o0o~

Four hours later, Cas was walking out of St. Bart's with a sprained wrist and a bruised ego.

"I'm sorry Cas, I'm so sorry. I should've stopped or, or..."

Cas held up his good arm, cutting Merlin off, "It's okay, Merlin, it happens. The doctor said I'd be fine. You couldn't have helped it."

Merlin didn't looked convinced, but he nodded anyway as Arthur slung an arm around Merlin's shoulders.

They were all still covered in dirt and sweat, and they smelled repulsive. Dean was outside on the sidewalk with Sam. He looked worried and Cas felt bad that he told Dean to wait outside. He was just too embarrassed to have Dean in there with him.

"Cas, hey what's the diagnosis?"

"Just a sprain, I'll be fine, you don't have to worry over me," he said, pulling his wrapped wrist away from Dean's grabby hands.

Dean looked hurt, but he smiled to cover it up, "Alright, alright, well come on you stink, I stink, let's get home and clean up."

Cas sat on Dean's bed, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom. He felt bad for being rude to Dean. Dean didn't do anything, and he definitely didn't deserve to be talked to like that.

The bathroom door opened, steam pouring out, and Dean came out in his pajamas. He stopped short, his wet hair stick up at odd ends.

"Hey, Cas, what's up?" He walked over to his dirty clothes that were tossed aside, and tossed them in the hamper. He turned back to Cas and sat next to him on the bed.

Cas sighed and looked down at his wrist, "I'm sorry I got annoyed with you, before. I don't want you to be mad I just…" He let his hands flop down on his lap when the words wouldn't come, and winced as his sprained wrist bent funny. "Ow"

Dean chuckled, "Seriously? You're worried that I'm mad? And watch your wrist; you don't wanna make it worse." He reached over and gently took Cas' hand in his. He carefully turned it over in his hands and inspected the wrapping.

"Yes, I was worried. I got mad at you for no reason."

He placed Cas' hand back on his lap and turned to look Cas in the eyes.

Dean's green eyes showed nothing but affection and Cas' stomach did backflips and his heart fluttered. Without thinking he pushed Dean back onto the bed with his good hand. Dean's eyes widened in surprise as Cas straddled him.

"Cas wha-" Dean stopped mid-question as Cas' lips stopped them from uttering another word. Dean froze at first, but slowly he wrapped his arms around Cas, holding him close.

Cas' sprained wrist laid lazily on Dean's chest as his other hand grabbed Dean's shoulder. He had never kissed anyone before. This was Cas' first kiss and it was…perfect. Dean grabbed at Cas' shirt, greedily, wanting more.

Cas went to pull away, but one of Dean's hands was now on the back of Cas' head, holding him there.

"Dean," He whispered. He opened his eyes and saw Dean's eyes lit with joy and his lips plump and pink.

"Shit, Cas, that was…um…" Dean's hands ran up and down Cas' sides, making the boy on top shiver and fight back the urge to burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked, trying to distract himself.

Dean squinted, "Are…are you ticklish?"

Cas' eyes widened, "No."

A mischievous smile played on Dean's face. He reached up and dug his fingers into Cas' sides. Cas fell forward onto Dean's chest, laughing hysterically. It was getting to the point where Cas couldn't breathe and tears were rolling down his face. He gasped for Dean to stop, and finally, he did. They laid there laughing, trying to get it out of their systems.

Cas rolled off of Dean and laid his head on Dean's chest.

"Thank you for introducing me to soccer."

"Even though you sprained your wrist? You still enjoyed it?"

Cas nodded, "Mmhmm."

His eyelids became heavy and finally they closed shut. He was too tired to make it back to his room. Dean's bed was suitable for tonight…and maybe more nights in the future.


	4. Day Four: On A Date

Day 4: On A Date:

Dean fumbled with his phone. Should he call Sam? No, he's asked people on dates before. Though, he never asked a man before. It wasn't the asking part that made Dean nervous. It was the planning.

Where the _hell_ was he going to take Cas out on a date?

Dinner at a restaurant? No, too cliché…

Movie theater? Again, no…

"Ugh," Dean threw his phone onto the couch and ran his fingers through his short hair. "Dammit."

"What's wrong?"

Dean spun around and saw Cas standing in the kitchen.

"Oh hey, didn't hear you come in. Um, nothing, just, uh-are you busy Friday night?"

Cas thought about it for a minute, "No, I don't think so. Why?"

Dean took a deep breath to calm his nerves, "Would you want to go out for a bite to eat, or…something?" He curled his fingers into fists and swung his arms. Damn nervous habit.

_Dammit Dean, get it together. You've asked people out before. Yes, but they weren't Cas._ He told himself.

Cas smiled, "Like a date?"

"Well, I mean, yeah…like a date…" Dean stuttered. He waited patiently for Cas' answer.

Cas leaned against the counter and studied his feet. He finally looked up at Dean, "I'd like that."

~Friday Night~

Dean walked next to Cas on the sidewalk. It was awkwardly quiet and Dean's palms were actually kind of sweaty. He glanced over and saw that Cas' hands were free. After wiping his hands on his pants, he reached over and took Cas' hand in his.

Cas looked down and squeezed Dean's hand, "So, where are you taking me?"

Dean cleared his throat, "Well, the local park is showing one of those old time movies. I thought we could grab some hot dogs or pizza and watch a movie?"

Cas nodded, 'Sounds good."

Dean's heart pounded against his chest when he saw Cas' smile and he had to swallow back the nerves when Cas' eyes lit up with excitement. He had the urge to shove him into a back alley and…

_No, Dean, calm down. First date…this is Cas…Cas is, different, special. _

Dean and Cas both got hot dogs at a park vendor, and after Dean paid, they wound their way through the trees and summer flowers.

"How's your dog?" Dean asked as he chomped down on his.

Cas mumbled through a bite, "D'licious." Cas swallowed his bite, "Sorry, delicious. What's on it again?"

Dean chuckled at Cas trying to be all polite and 'proper' on their date, "Sauerkraut and mustard. Bobby took us to a baseball game or two when we were little and he always said hot dogs with sauerkraut and mustard were a must. Not many people like the combo. I was actually nervous that you wouldn't."

Cas swallowed another bite, "I think it might be a new favorite."

"Yeah?" Dean finished his hot dog and threw his trash in the closest garbage bin.

"Yeah," Cas replied, smiling. Dean watched as Cas' mouth closed around the last bite. Cas closed his eyes and hummed satisfaction as he crumbled up his trash.

_Damn his lips._

Dean reluctantly tore his eyes away and began looking for the signs that would point them in the right direction.

Dean stopped in the middle on the path. He looked down one path to the right, then another to the left. There were no signs indicating where the movie was playing, nor did the paths show any signs of activity. The sun had begun to set, making the paths eerily dark.

"Um…"

"Are we, lost, in a park?"

"Psh, no…we're just, on the wrong-yeah I think we are a tad bit lost." Dean felt foolish. In his defense, he had never been to this park before.

"It's okay, we'll just back track and go to a movie theater. I'm okay with that."

_Of course you are, but I'm not…_ "No, we'll, uh, here we'll go for an adventure." Dean started walking towards the left path, hoping to God that this wouldn't lead to getting them more lost.

Cas followed Dean, taking his hand as soon as they entered the dark archway of trees.

'Where do you think this leads?" Cas whispered.

Dean shrugged, "No idea, but that's what makes this an adventure right? Not knowing what we'll find on the other side?"

Cas nodded, but he still looked nervous. Dean pressed up against him, reassuring him that everything would be fine.

Fireflies danced in front of them as they walked along the narrow path. Tall trees lined either side, while bushes and fragrant flowers covered the ground.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Dean was aware of every touch and brush that Cas made. It sent warm shivers through his body. Dean wasn't sure if it was on purpose or a nervous thing, but Cas had started rubbing his thumb along Dean's fingers and hand. His thumb left a hot, burning sensation on Dean's skin where ever it trailed. Heat rose and his chest tightened. He loved this feeling, and he loved that Cas was the one who was making him feel it.

"What's that?" Cas pointed toward an opening in the trees.

Dean tugged on Cas' arm, "Let's go find out."

They rounded the corner and found themselves next to a small pond. A small wooden bridge led to the other side of the pond where there was a small clearing surrounded by trees.

"Wow…" Cas said, exasperated.

"Come here," Dean said. He lead Cas over to the bridge. They stood right in the middle and together they leaned over the edge and watched the water swirl below them.

"This…is so cheesy," Dean said through a nervous chuckle.

"Cheesy?"

"Yeah, I was only planning on hot dogs and a movie-not…this." He stood up straight and swept his arm over the scenery, "This is so, I don't know…cliché, it's-"

"Romantic?" Cas interrupted. Dean sighed and leaned against the side of the bridge again. "I don't mind, you know. It's nice. It's…different."

Dean leaned on his right side, so that he could look at Cas. His uncooperative hair was sticking up at different angles. Dean's eyes were brought down to Cas' lips. Cas licked his lips before leaning in and placing them on Dean's.

It started out soft and gentle, but it grew into a passionate kiss. Cas' hips pinned Dean to the railing. Dean ran his hands up and down Cas' sides. Cas' lips curled into a smile, but he never stopped. Cas pulled on the front of Dean's jacket, as he rocked his hips against Dean's. They moaned into each other's kisses and touched every inch of each other that they could reach.

Cas pulled away and rested his forehead on Dean's, "It's not _cheesy_ Dean Winchester. It's nice and I love it." He gave Dean another kiss and backed away, dragging Dean with him.

"Where are we going?" Dean asked, his head spinning from the make out session.

"You'll see," Cas said, a sly smile playing on his lips.

Cas pulled Dean down the other side of the bridge and into the clearing. Dean ran into him when Cas stopped suddenly. Dean caught him before he could fall, "Cas, what are you doing?"

Cas looked up at the sky, "Let's top off our _cheesy_ date night with watching the stars." He looked over at Dean. The smile he wore stretched ear to ear. How could Dean say 'no' to this face?

Dean looked up at the sky and frowned. Clouds had covered any stars that might have been visible.

"Um, Cas, sorry to rain on your parade, but there are no stars out. The clouds are covering them," Dean said, pointing to the sky.

Cas didn't look at the sky, he kept his eyes on Dean. He motioned for Dean to come over.

Dean obliged, and watched as Cas looked to the sky. He raised a hand and with a flick of his wrist, the clouds parted, revealing twinkling stars above.

"But…what, Cas, how?"

"Angel, remember?"

Dean nodded, amazed by the powers Cas just performed, "I didn't know you could…wow."

Cas grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him down to the ground. Together, they lay in the grass watching the stars. Cas would point out different stars and what their names are and different constellations.

Dean was barely paying attention to the stars after a while. The way Cas talked about the night sky, all that wisdom, it fascinated Dean. He wanted to sit there for days and listen to Cas speak.

He watched as every so often Cas' eyes would widen and right after, he would point to another star and tell Dean about it. He smiled the whole time. His smile faltered though when he looked over at Dean, who was staring at Cas.

"What?"

Dean shook his head, "Nothing, just…you. You love everything, no matter what it is and it-it's…I think it's one of my favorite things about you."

Cas blushed as he looked back to the stars, "I-uh…forgive me, but I don't know what to say" He turned his head to look at Dean again.

Dean chuckled and scooted closer to Cas, "You don't have to say anything, Cas."

Cas snuggled into Dean's side. They continued to watch the stars until Cas pointed out every star he could think of to Dean.

All day Dean had been nervous and worried that tonight would just be a total disaster, but he was happy with the route it took. It wasn't what he planned, but it was better than he could have ever imagined.


	5. Day Five: Kissing

Day Five: Kissing

"Boring…boring…um, no…God…ugh…" Merlin sat alone in the apartment flipping through the stations on the TV, looking for something to watch. Nothing. It was another boring Tuesday afternoon and to top it all off, Merlin had the flu.

He gave up on looking for something to watch. He lifted his achy body up from the couch and walked over to the movie collection. He tried to think about what he hasn't seen in a while. He and Arthur have been having movie nights, so the list was short, but when he came to _The Notebook_, he paused. This…this is what he wanted to watch.

He popped in the DVD and curled up on the couch, wrapping a blanket around him to stop the chills. Two boxes of tissues sat on the coffee table, a garbage and bowl nearby, just in case. His unfinished toast was cold, but his tea was still warm. He took a sip and shuddered. He wished Arthur was here, but he had a dinner date with his father and sister. Merlin would've gone, but now that he was spewing bodily fluids, he had to stay home, alone.

Noah and Allie just kissed.

Merlin smiled, wondering what their kiss was like. Was it as wonderful as Arthur's kisses? Did it send chills up Allie's spine when Noah ran his hands all over her body while passionately kissing her? Did Noah's heart leap and burst with joy when Allie jumped into his arms?

Merlin snuggled deeper into his blankets. He missed Arthur. He wanted Arthur here with him, right now. He wanted Arthur's arms wrapped around him, helping him to fight the shivers. Most of all, he wished he wasn't sick. He wanted to kiss Arthur all over, from head to toe.

Merlin groaned as he plucked a tissue from the box and blew his nose.

Arthur's kisses were the best. He had many kisses that Merlin enjoyed and would die without. Like the good morning kiss…all sweet and warm. Arthur always woke up before Merlin. Arthur would roll over and push Merlin's hair out of his face, and then he would very gently kiss his head. Once Merlin would open his eyes, Arthur would kiss his temple, "There's my beautiful blues." He would say, every morning, without fail, and Merlin would melt and smile, every morning.

Oh, or kisses Arthur would plant on the back of his neck while they cooked or while Merlin looked out the window at the world. Merlin would know it was coming, because Arthur would wrap his arms around Merlin's middle, whisper something in his ear, and then trail kisses down his neck and onto his shoulder. Merlin shuddered at the memory, the sensation those kisses would send through his body…

Merlin personally liked the little pecks Arthur would give him at the most random times. Like when Merlin would be reading a book on the couch. Arthur would walk behind him and plant one on the top of his head. He would probably do it now if Arthur was here. He'd run a hand through Merlin's hair, check his temperature, and then kiss him on the head.

Merlin watched as Noah and Allie were lost in each other's passionate kisses and moans.

Arthur's kisses before he would make love to Merlin…God, those…those were wonderful. The way he would lick Merlin's lip, asking for entry, and if he was feeling extra frisky he would playfully bite at Merlin's lips. He would trail his kisses down Merlin's chin, to his neck, to the dip in his collar bone…all the way down to his hips, but of course, Arthur wouldn't let him have it _that_ easy. He repeated these kisses over and over, teasing, until Merlin begged for Arthur to wrap his mouth around him and…

Merlin squirmed on the couch, turning his thoughts back to the movie.

The movie was almost over, and Merlin liked the ending. It brought everything together, and Merlin thought it was a perfect storyline. The first time he saw it, he was so caught up in the story, that he cried long after all the credits rolled.

When the movie ended, Merlin didn't cry this time, sure he got teary-eyed, but he didn't cry.

He wondered what Arthur thought of Merlin's kisses. Did Arthur enjoy Merlin's butterfly kisses over his eyes or his hungry, passionate kisses in the bed?

The door creaked opened and Merlin heard it softly click shut. Arthur obviously thought Merlin was sleeping. Merlin giggled at the thought of Arthur trying to be quiet.

"What are you laughing at?" Arthur asked from the kitchen, tossing his keys on the counter.

"You." Merlin looked up when he saw Arthur out of the corner of his eye. Arthur scooted Merlin's legs over and plopped himself onto the couch.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like death. How was the dinner?"

Arthur sighed, "It was alright, I missed you, though. I didn't have a thigh to rest my hands on under the table."

"Is that all I'm good for? A hand rest at your family dinners?" Merlin asked, teasing. Merlin sat up and laid his legs across Arthur's lap.

Arthur gave a contemplative look, "It's one of many." Arthur ran a hand through Merlin's hair and placed the back of his hand to Merlin's forehead. "You're still burning up, did you take the Tylenol?" Arthur looked on the table, the two tablets still sitting there, "No…Merlin…" He reached over and shoved the tablets into Merlin's hands.

He gave Merlin his now cold tea, "Take them." Arthur watched as Merlin tossed back the Tylenol and tea. "You are so stubborn, you know that?"

Merlin scooted forward so he was sitting in Arthur's lap. He rested his pounding head on Arthur's chest. Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin. "Shh, don't talk." Merlin mumbled into his shirt.

Merlin could hear Arthur's chuckle rumble in his chest. Arthur pushed back Merlin's fringe and placed his lips on Merlin's forehead and gave Merlin a long, warm kiss. Merlin hummed his approval and Arthur kissed his closed eyes and the tip of his reddened nose.

"You're gunna get sick," Merlin whispered.

"Well then, you need to get better. I miss your kisses."

"You do?"

"Yes, and as soon as you're better I'm going to kiss you so much, you'll be sick of my lips."

"I could never," Merlin said, exasperated.

He would never get sick of Arthur's kisses. When he got better, he was going to give Arthur some kisses he would never forget.


	6. Day Six: Wearing Each Other

Day Six: Wearing Each Other's Clothes

Should he be doing this?

Should he really be wearing Dean's favorite Zeppelin shirt and his overly large sweatpants?

Maybe he should just take them off…

…But they were so, comfortable and worn. Cas was tired of his normal boring white and blue t-shirts. Dean looked so comfortable and, well, sexy, in his worn out t-shirts and tattered jeans. Cas looked in the mirror as he smoothed the shirt over his chest. So what if it was a little too big for him. He looked good in it, and he hoped Dean would think so too…

Cas tentatively opened the bedroom door. He peeked around the corner and saw Dean standing in the kitchen cooking dinner. Cas had just got back from a quick run and had showered. His hair was still damp and the t-shirt stuck to his torso.

Cas breathed in deep; whatever Dean was cooking it smelled delicious. His stomach rumbled as he stepped out of his room.

"Smells good," he said, swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in his throat. Why was he so nervous? It was just clothes.

"Thanks," Dean said without turning around. He added spices to a pot and stirred it with the wooden spoon.

"Pasta?" Cas asked.

"Yeah, is that alright?" Dean asked, still not turning around. Damn…he should just run back to the room while he can and change. This was a stupid idea anyway.

"Um, yeah…that's fine." He started backing away from the kitchen, keeping a close eye on Dean. His heart began to race in his chest when Dean swiveled around on his socks and looked to where Cas was standing.

"What's wrong? Not feeling the-," He paused when he spotted the shirt Cas was wearing. A mixture of emotions flitted across his face. None of them angry…none mad…just confusion, realization, then something Cas wasn't expecting…desire.

Cas fiddled with the hem of the shirt, "I can go change if you want. I just thought-"

Dean shook his head, "No. I mean…it's fine." He licked his lips and his eyes skimmed over every inch of Cas' body before he turned back to his sauce.

Cas was thoroughly confused. Dean wasn't mad, he was _excited_. It excited him that Cas wore his clothes.

Cas stood awkwardly outside his bedroom door for a minute, until he decided to settle himself on the couch. He propped his bare feet up on the coffee table and flicked through the channels.

Except his mind wasn't worrying about what was on TV, his mind was wandering to Dean. He chanced a glance over to the kitchen and his breath caught in his chest when he saw that Dean was watching him sit there. Maybe Cas misinterpreted Dean's 'desire' for annoyance? Maybe Dean didn't want him in his clothes?

Cas bit his lip as he felt heat rush to his face.

"Shit."

Cas turned his attention to the kitchen where Dean was sucking on his forefinger.

"You okay?" Cas asked, his voice a tad bit shaky.

Dean nodded, finger still in his mouth. He took his finger out and shook it in the air, "Yeah, just got…distracted."

Cas bit back a grin. He knew what distracted him, and Cas was curious.

He set the remote on the table and walked to the kitchen. He came up behind Dean and placed his chin on Dean's shoulder, looking at the sauce and noodles cooking on the stove. He wrapped an arm around Dean, while his free hand picked up the spoon in the pot with the noodles. He took a noodle from the spoon and shook it to cool it off before popping it in his mouth.

Dean watched every move, swallowing hard when Cas looked Dean in the eyes while still chewing the noodle.

Dean looked down to Cas' mouth and licked his lips again. Cas chuckled and ran a thumb over Dean's bottom lip, "Your lips are gunna get chapped if you keep licking them," Cas said, plucking another noodle off the spoon.

This time Dean bit his bottom lip and pushed Cas up against the counter, two hands firmly holding his hips, "Then stop teasing me," he whispered.

Cas' legs shook and if it weren't for Dean's strong hold, he'd probably sink to his knees.

With one hand Dean shut off the stove and put the pots on the back burners; the other hand was firmly on Cas' hip. His thumb had slipped under the shirt and was currently skimming over Cas' hipbone, burning his touch into Cas' skin.

Dean's eyes went to Cas' neck as he swallowed the second noodle. Hunger burned in Dean's eyes. His face was so close to Cas', that he could see the golden brown specs in Dean's eyes, and count the freckles that were sprinkled across his cheeks and nose.

Cas counted six freckles before Dean closed the gap between them, his lips soft and wet against his.

Cas grabbed at Dean's short hair, a bit surprised by Dean's actions. Dean dug his fingers into Cas' hipbones as a response to Cas' eager hands pulling his hair. Cas wondered if there would be bruises there tomorrow.

Dean broke apart first, leaning his forehead against Cas', "Bedroom?" He asked. It was a timid question. Dean looked into Cas' blue eyes, hesitant of Cas' answer.

Cas searched Dean's face. Dean wasn't joking, he wasn't teasing. Dean was serious and it made Cas' stomach clench. They haven't done anything past making out and heavy petting. It's only been about two weeks since they started going out, but Cas was unsure of the rules of dating. Was this too soon? Were they over-do for a session in the bedroom? He decided to trust Dean on his judgment.

Cas nodded jerkily, "What about the food?" Cas glanced over at the pasta on the stove. Dean groaned, looked over at the pasta, and then back at Cas, "Go to the bedroom I'll be there in a minute."

Cas walked on shaky legs to Dean's bedroom. His heart was a jackhammer against his chest. What if he messed up? What if he did something Dean didn't like? What if Dean thought he was so terrible at being a boyfriend that Dean dumps him with their pants down around their ankles?

Cas pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes, trying to rid his minds of negative thoughts. This was both their first time with another guy…Cas was sure they were both going to be awful and awkward at it.

Cas jumped when he heard Dean walking down the hallway. He wasn't sure what to do. Sit on the bed? Stand awkwardly in the middle of the room?

Cas chose the bed. He perched on the edge, hands flat on his thighs as Dean entered. Dean didn't bother to close the door. He stood a few feet away from Castiel, watching him, drinking in the sight of Cas in his clothes.

Cas spoke first, "So…how, um-," he rubbed his neck, nervous and unsure of what to do or say.

Dean smiled and in two strides he had Cas' face in his hands, kissing him fiercely.

"You are a wonder, Cas," Dean's kisses trailed along his jawline, "First, you wear my clothes," Dean whispered in his ear, making Cas shudder. "Then you tease me with food." He kissed the taut line of muscle in Cas' neck.

Cas' breathing was quickening and he tried to focus on slowing it down. His head was spinning with Dean's words and touches. He didn't know what to focus on. At that moment Dean put his hands on Cas' shoulders and pushed him back onto the bed.

His hands automatically went up to Dean's sides, holding on for support. Dean straddled Cas' legs and bent down to plant more kisses on Cas' neck.

Cas could feel Dean's erection pushing against his own, aching to be freed. He wanted more of Dean touching him, less clothes, more skin. Cas' hips bucked up, yearning for Dean. At the same time Dean rolled his hips down on Cas'. He let out a moan and clutched at Dean's shirt.

"Dean," he breathed, "Please." He wasn't sure what he was begging him for, but all he wanted was Dean. He wanted his lips on him, his hands touching him.

Dean sat up and ran his hands down Castiel's chest, his stomach, until he found the hem of the shirt Cas wore, "You look good in my clothes," he said pulling the shirt over Cas' head. Cas wriggled under Dean's weight. Dean was such a tease.

Cas couldn't wait, he reached down and tried pushing his pants down. Dean didn't miss this movement. He grabbed Cas' wrists, forcing them above his head, "Patience, Cas." He leaned down, kissing away the retort that played on Cas' lips.

Dean's kisses trailed down Cas' torso and to the top of his pants. He hooked his finger into Cas' pants and boxers and pulled them down in one swift movement. The burst of cold air over Cas' exposed skin sent shivers through him. Dean trailed two fingers along the crease where Cas' thighs met his torso. He bucked his hips again, wanting Dean to touch him, begging him.

Dean decided he had teased enough. He grabbed the base of Cas' cock and slowly, achingly he ran his hand along the length, gently twisting his hand. Cas gasped and clutched at the sheets. He squeezed Dean's sides with his knees, holding on to anything he could.

Dean pumped his hand a few more times, and then stopped. Cas pushed his hips into Dean's touch, pleading for him to continue. He looked down at Dean and almost came apart as he saw Dean's head dip down and take Cas in his mouth.

Cas' head fell back onto the mattress, his eyes squeezed shut as Dean's tongue licked the underside of his dick. He moaned loudly as Dean's tongue swirled to the tip, licking off the pre-cum.

Dean's hands had travelled to his balls, cupping them, massaging them in rhythm with his mouth. Cas hitched his hips up at the loss of Dean's mouth fully on him. Dean took all of Cas in his mouth, sucking until Cas came.

Cas' thighs shook against Dean's sides as he clutched them, using them until the pressure of his orgasm subsided.

He unclenched the sheets and laid his hands out on the bed, letting the waves escape through every muscle.

"Dean," he gasped. Dean crawled onto the bed next to Cas, laying on his side.

"Cas," he said, a smile playing on his lips.

"Fuck, that was…that-," he couldn't find the words to describe what he was feeling.

Dean chuckled, "I know," he whispered.

Cas looked into his green eyes and rolled over, curling into Dean's chest. His knee found Dean's crotch and Cas smiled when he found that Dean was still hard.

"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" Cas said, sensually.

Cas went down on him, tearing his clothes off, touching Dean, kissing Dean, and reveling in his moans until he was coming apart in Cas' hands.

Dean held Cas against his chest, an arm draped over his naked hip, legs tangled together. They slept well into the night, both enjoying the warmth of each other's naked bodies.

They woke up in the middle of the night, hungry. They finally got to taste the delicious pasta Dean made. Cas wore Dean's sweatpants and Zeppelin shirt, while Dean borrowed a sweatshirt and shorts from Cas. They really enjoyed wearing each other's clothes now.


	7. Day Seven: Cosplaying

Day Seven: Cosplaying

Merlin and Castiel sat on the couch, waiting for Dean and Arthur to get dressed. Merlin wore black dress pants, a white button down, a long black cloak, and a green and silver tie. He twirled a wand he fashioned from a stick in his hand. Castiel was sprawled out next to him, his black jacket thrown across the back of the couch. Cas wore swamp green pants, a black t-shirt and, combat boots.

Merlin huffed, "What the bloody hell is taking them so long? The convention starts in thirty minutes and we still need to actually get out the door. Arthur!"

Merlin turned to look at the bedroom door, expecting it to open. There was no answer.

"Ugh, this is ridiculous. We should just go without them, Cas. It's not like they wanted to go anyway." Merlin frowned and fiddled with his wand.

Cas sat up straight and leaned towards Merlin, "We played soccer for them, they can do this for us." Merlin gave Cas a half-hearted smile.

It was true, if Arthur and Dean wanted Cas and Merlin to get down and dirty playing soccer, sweat, blood, and sprained wrist, then they could attend a convention and cosplay with them.

Cas stood up and marched over to Dean's door. He pounded on the door, "Dean! Come on, it's not that hard to put your clothes on! What's taking you?"

"Cas…I look ridiculous!" He yelled, muffled by the door. Cas tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"Dean, let's go! We're getting impatient! At least I didn't make you go as a Disney prince!" Cas wanted to desperately go as Aladdin and Dean would be Flynn Rider, but Dean down right refused.

Cas heard shuffling on the other side, a click, and then the door opened. Dean stood in the door frame, a perturbed look on his face. Cas took a step back and admired the man in front of him. Dean wore a black track type suit, red and silver stripes ran down his short sleeves and down the sides of his pants. He was also wearing combat boots.

Cas smiled, "You look great! You still need the paint thou-"

"No, I am not putting paint on my face!"

"But you're Peeta, Dean! Just a little bit, like you're practicing! That's what he does in the books…" Cas trailed off, feeling a bit offended. Dean noticed Cas' mood change.

"Fine, I'll put the paint on." He turned back into his room just as Arthur came out of Cas' room.

Merlin bounded over to Arthur, who wore the same thing he was, except his had gold and scarlet colors.

Merlin beamed at him and held him by the front of his cloak, "There's my Gryffindor." He stood up and planted a kiss on Arthur's lips.

Arthur lifted his arms and examined them, "Merlin, do I really have to prance around with this cloak on? It's so…"

"Perfect," Merlin said, cutting him off, "You look great!"

Ten minutes later, they were finally out the door. Merlin and Arthur both had their Hogwarts attire on and wands in hand. Dean had his camouflage paint on his face, with help from Cas, of course. Cas was just as surprised as Dean at Cas' ability to draw a leafy, rocky design on part of his face and neck. Cas had his bow and arrows slung over his shoulder.

Both couples held hands as they walked down the streets of London towards the park, where the summer convention was being held. It was an annual thing that the university put together to celebrate the end of another year. They had merch stands for a good chunk of the fandoms, concerts all day long, craft stands (where one could enhance their costume to take it to the next level), costume contests, deep, thought provoking discussion groups, and tons of food from all over the world (all fandom inspired of course).

It was their first time going and Merlin and Cas had brought it up to Dean and Arthur, begging them to join in on the fun. Then trying to pick a fandom was a whole other problem. All four of them were broke college students, so they couldn't up and buy their costumes. Cas and Merlin actually spent a whole day learning how to sew so they could put the red and silver stripes on Dean's costume and the Hogwarts badges on Merlin and Arthur's cloaks.

"I still think Merlin and Arthur should've gone as, well, Merlin and Arthur," Dean said.

"And where, may I ask, would we get chain mail and swords and a beard for Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"Who said Merlin has to have a beard? He was young at some point you know. Maybe he wore…" Merlin looked to the sky, pondering what fashion Merlin would have donned in Camelot, "…a handkerchief! And servant type clothes. He was, after all, a commoner."

Arthur nudged Merlin's arm with his elbow, laughing, "Well, still, I wouldn't want to cosplay as them."

"Why not?" Cas asked.

"Because Arthur dies in the end. I'd rather be someone who lives 'til the end."

Merlin gave Arthur an affectionate look, "I agree, what would I do without you?" He grabbed Arthur's hair and pulled him in for a kiss.

Dean looked over at Cas, "Maybe you should've gone as an angel?" He whispered.

Cas gave him a hard jab with his elbow, "I am _not_ putting on fake wings. It's a disgrace."

"Alright, alright…don't get your wings all ruffled." That earned Dean another jab and a playful smile from Cas.

Merlin suddenly turned around, forcing Arthur to fall back and Cas to almost bowl over the dark haired boy, "I have an idea, let's make this a little more competitive. Ok, so you know the scavenger hunt they have? Well, we are most likely not going to win because literally everyone gets involved, but we should make it between us, also! Me and Cas against Arthur and Dean. What do you think?"

Cas really liked the idea. So much that he almost started jumping up and down like a five year. "Yes, I agree! Dean?" Cas looked at Dean, hopeful.

Both Arthur and Dean had skeptical looks.

"What's in it for the winning team?" Arthur asked.

Merlin and Cas shared evil grins, "The losing team has to give the winning team full body massages for a week," Merlin began.

"-and they have to do the laundry!" Cas added.

Dean and Arthur shared contemplative looks, "Alright, deal." Dean said, holding his hand out to Merlin. Once everyone shook on it, Merlin held his hand up.

"One more condition."

"Wait, you can't do that, we already shook on it!" Arthur protested.

"Oh, calm yourself, it's something that is already part of all this, but it needs to be enforced. Both teams have to record each other or take pictures of the evidence, _but_," Merlin held up a finger, "You have to be in character in the photo or video."

Both Arthur and Dean's mouths dropped, "In character?" They said together.

Cas was loving this, "Yes, and if you break character, you lose. Capiche?"

"Do we have to be in character the _entire_ time? How will the other team know?"

Merlin shook his head, "Just for the video or picture. If you really want to, you can be in character the whole time, but you _have_ to be in character for the evidence."

All four of them agreed on the terms and conditions. When they arrived at the convention the two teams broke apart and studied the list of items and the map given to them. The items on the list where all fandom related and Merlin and Cas knew where many of the things could be found, but Arthur and Dean were having some trouble.

Dean stared incredulously at the mapped, "What the hell is this? What is an 'acid pop' and what does it mean by 'muggle equivalent'? Guys, this isn't fair, I don't know what half of these are?" Dean and Arthur where sweating over the list.

Merlin shrugged, "Ask around, no rules against it!"

"Come on Dean, a lot of this stuff you should know. You've seen and heard these references in movies I've shown you…that's if you were paying attention." Cas gave Dean a sly smile.

Dean began to blush. He pointed a finger at Cas, "You…you are in trouble when we get home."

Cas pretended to be frightened by Dean's words, "Is that a threat?"

Den grumbled and stalked off with Arthur, in search for answers. Merlin and Cas giggled as they walked off, "We've got this in the bag." Merlin said.

"Hello massages, goodbye laundry." They gave a hi-five and both skipped off to find the table selling Lord of The Rings merchandise.

~o0o~

All four boys stood side by side, arms folded and game faces on. The announcer for the scavenger hunt stood on a stage getting the crowd hyped up and ready for the hunt.

"Ladies and gentleman! Dwarves and elves of all sizes! Pixies, princesses, creatures, and superheroes! It is time for the scavenger hunt! Those who signed up should have received a list of items that you are finding. It is a list of ten items. The first team to find and document each item before time runs out, wins! Grab your wands, ready your bows and axes, brandish your swords, because it's time for the fifth annual Fandom Scavenger Hunt!" The crowd roared in response, sticks and swords waving in the air, "Ready your maps, set your compasses…GO!"

The crowd was chaos as people ran every which way, on the hunt for the goods. Merlin and Cas turned to Dean and Arthur.

"Good luck, boys," Merlin said.

Dean did a small half bow, "May the odds…be ever in your favor." He gave Arthur a wink, obviously so proud of himself.

Cas had to admit, it was kind of sexy.

Merlin scowled, "Come on, Cas, let's win this."

Merlin and Cas looked down at their list, carefully planning what item they would search for first.

_Find the muggle equivalent to 'acid pops'_

_A picture or video of the muggle sport that Quidditch most resembles_

_A picture of your character(s) saving Big Ben_

_Find Platform 9 ¾_

_Find a pair of jokesters in a pub, they may or may not be singing and dancing atop a table, and get a picture with them_

_Get a group of people to give the three finger salute of district 12_

_Have a pokeball battle on the infamous, Abbey Road_

_London has its very own Barad-dûr, find it_

_Find one of the seven horcruxes that Voldemort made (does NOT have to be exact)_

_Without defacing property, leave the Mockingjay symbol of revolution somewhere in the city. Draw it on the sidewalk with chalk, or on a café menu board. Draw it on a piece of paper and tack it up, just so that it is easy to remove if need be. Take a picture or video of it._

"Let's go to Abbey Road first. It's out of the way of everything else. On the way back, we'll hit an antique shop, I bet we'll find something that resembles a horcrux there. Then we can do the Big Ben thing…then Shard Tower, then a pub, I have a good pub in mind where people are a bit crazy, we may just find a Pippin and Merry set there. Then we'll go to King's Cross and on the way back we will find a convenience store for a sour lollipop, get a picture of people playing basketball in the park and somewhere along the way we will leave the Mockingjay symbol. Sound good?" Merlin rambled off his plan to Cas.

Cas smiled wide, "This is a great plan," Cas said, but he couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach, "Do you think we're being a bit unfair to Dean and Arthur though? I mean, they don't know these references too well. If they did, then we'd be a bit more equal, because Arthur knows London better than Dean."

Merlin shrugged, "I'm sure they'll be fine. They're smart, they'll figure it out. I know for a fact Arthur knows a lot of these references, he just has to use his head."

Cas considered it…Dean should know this stuff too, he just has to…think… "Alright, let's go!"

~o0o~

"What…the actual…fuck…" Dean was annoyed…he was confused…and he didn't want to lose.

"I know..." Arthur was staring at the list, trying to decipher the references. He could vaguely remember Merlin telling him some of this stuff, but it just wasn't coming to him.

Arthur and Dean had at least started walking. They weren't standing around like other people.

"Okay, let's think, one, two, four, and nine are Harry Potter related. That should be easy; I've seen those movies a thousand times with Merlin."

Dean nodded in agreement, Cas and Dean always cuddled up to watch these movies.

"Alright, muggles, non-magic people. Acid pops…"

"Acid…sour?" Dean asked.

"You think?"

Dean shrugged, "Makes sense." Arthur made a mark on the list. Dean pointed to number two, "What do you think? Basketball or soccer…football, sorry."

Arthur turned his head, "Well, they throwing it in the hoops more than they kick it…so basketball?" He made another note.

"Platform nine and three quarters is obviously at King's Cross." He made another note, "Oh…kay, horcruxes…umm."

Dean wracked his brain, "Oh, those are the things they were hunting to destroy!" He remembered that easily. He and Cas had just watched the last two movies the other night. "So, what, we gotta find one that looks similar?"

"I guess, yah, makes sense." He made a final note. "Okay, that's the Harry Potter stuff; let's get those out of the way."

Arthur and Dean were off, determined to win.

~o0o~

"Alright we had our pokeball fight, and almost got hit by a car in the process, that was fun." Merlin checked off the item. "Found our horcrux, I can't believe you actually bought the thing," Merlin said to Cas as he checked that item.

"What? It's…interesting. I wanted it as a memory of this momentous occasion, and of course to rub it in Dean's face that we won."

Merlin barked out a laugh, "Nice, Cas, do you always tease Dean like that?"

Cas reddened, he and Merlin talked about other guys they found attractive, before they started dating their boyfriends, but they never really talked about Dean and Arthur with each other. "Um, yeah, I guess, but he knows, or at least I hope he knows I'm teasing."

Merlin pocketed the list, "I'm sure he does. Arthur and I are relentless with each other. Constant back and forth. You'd think we'd be tired of each other, but I personally think he gets off on the teasing." Merlin chuckled, as if remembering a fond moment. He walked to the curb and held a hand out to hail a cab, "I'll get the cab if you pay for food later?" A yellow cab pulled up to the curb.

Cas nodded, "No problem. So, how did you and Arthur meet?" He asked while they climbed into the back of the cab.

It was Merlin's turn to blush, "Um, well, it was the usual, rich kid runs into poor kid, they hate each other for a while, they eventually become friends, but then the raging boners start when they do the littlest things like the way they lick ice cream off the spoon or when they take their shirt off, or-"

Cas held up his hand, "Got it, I don't want to make a pit stop so you can relieve yourself."

Merlin laughed, "Sorry, so yeah…It went basically like that. He asked me to accompany him to a football game once, little did I know he was the one playing, and I don't know, just kind of, fell for him. Plus he was kick-ass at the game. How about you and Dean?" Merlin settled into the seat, propping his feet up next to Cas.

Cas fiddled with his fingers, "Well, I've known Dean, for a long time. This is gunna sound so cliché, but we are kind of destined for each other." Cas gave Merlin time to chuckle, but no laugh came from the boy's mouth, so Cas continued. "I've always known I was partial to men, but I don't think Dean did until we came here. The first time he showed affection was when he held my hand."

"Oh, when you went shopping with us?" Merlin asked.

"Yeah…then he asked me on a date and we watched the stars and…yeah." Cas wasn't sure if Merlin wanted to know about their first time together, so he kept it to himself.

Merlin sat there smiling. Cas wasn't sure if he was supposed to continue, "Uh-"

"You really like him don't you?" Merlin interrupted.

Cas' heart skipped a beat, "Yeah…I do." Cas couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

"I feel that way with Arthur, like we were meant to be and there can _be_ no other way. It's weird, I feel like I've met him before, like I have these memories with him that I don't remember…Well, now I sound crazy," he said, waving off his comment.

Cas shook his head, "Not crazy, love will do that to you."

That word hung heavy in the car. _Love._ Merlin and Cas were silent for the rest of the ride. Both left to think about Arthur and Dean…and _love._

~o0o~

"Arthur, what the hell are five and eight…what are those fandoms?"

Both Arthur and Dean finished their Harry Potter tasks. Four down, six to go. They wondered how far Merlin and Cas got.

"Um,' Arthur scratched his head. He had no idea…two rowdy pub goers and a Barad-dûr?

"I think we should ask. We'll never get them."

Arthur agreed, he never heard of the Bara-thing and two rowdy men? How discreet could you get? He looked around for cosplayers. They were on a deserted street, no one in sight.

"Bookstore, they've got to know in there," Dean said, pointing to a small shop shoved between a furniture store and a discount clothing shop.

Dean and Arthur went into the shop, the little bell tinkling as they opened the door. An old man sat behind a clustered counter.

"Good evenin' boys, what can I do for you?"

Dean took the list from Arthur, "We were wondering if you know what these two," Dean pointed to numbers five and eight, "are referencing?"

The old man tipped his head back to look through his spectacles, "On a scavenger hunt I see," He looked at the boys' clothes, "You two don't seem like the type who usually participate in these kind of things." He looked back at the list.

Arthur and Dean looked each other, then at their clothes, then back to the man.

"We, uh, our boyfriends are into it," Arthur said.

"Yeah, I mean, to be fair, we did make them play soc-football with us. They got all sweaty and dirty for us, Cas even sprained his wrist." He laughed at the memory, while he nervously rubbed his neck. He felt bad for being rude to Cas before. He didn't complain when Dean took him to play, hell, he was more nervous that he would mess up and make a fool of himself.

Arthur was looking a bit sour too; he must be feeling the same guilt.

"Well, you got yourselves some Lord of The Rings references here," the old man said, ignoring Dean's rant. He handed them the list back. "Number five, two jokesters in a pub, Pippin and Merry," he said, expecting the two young boys to get it. They didn't.

The old man sighed, "There's a scene in the movie where they dance on a table and sing with slopping tankards in their hands."

"Oh! I remember that now! Cas loves those two, I can't believe I missed that," Dean exclaimed. The realization only added to his guilt.

The old man smiled, "Number eight, this one was a bit tough if you aren't sure of the proper terms, but Barad-dûr is the tower that holds the Eye of Sauron, that big fiery eye that follows the two hobbits, always looking for the ring."

Arthur slapped a hand to his forehead, "Shard!"

"Excuse me?" Dean asked, worried for his friend.

"Shard! Shard Tower, it's London's own Barad-thing-Merlin went all nerd on me when they finished building it. I can't believe I forgot that day. That was the first time we, uh…" Arthur had gone red. He shouldn't tell a stranger that little detail. Even without saying it though, he realized how special that day was, and it was all because of Merlin's inner nerd, and he forgot because he only remembered what happened later that night.

Dean cleared his throat, "Alright, well, thank you sir for your help. You have no idea what this means to us."

"Oh, I'm sure I do. Don't take for granted what you have, boys, life's too short."

Arthur and Dean were too stunned to answer. They ducked their heads in thanks and left the stuffy, little book shop.

"So, um, Shard then pub?" Arthur asked when they stepped outside.

Dean only nodded, he couldn't form words passed the lump that formed in his throat.

They walked in silence to the Tube.

~o0o~

Merlin and Cas entered the pub, their eyes watering from tears and cheeks sore from laughing.

"Cas-oh man…you, your-" Merlin choked out. He took a few deep breaths before continuing, "Your face was priceless in that picture!" Merlin had taken out the camera as they walked to the pub. They haven't taken a normal breath in four blocks.

Cas and Merlin took a seat by the front window and observed their surroundings.

"Well…this is more tame than I thought it would be. On a Friday night too."

He was right, it was very chill in the pub. Everyone was in whispered conversations, heads tucked close to each other.

"Should we check out another pub?" Cas asked. Cas looked over a Merlin and froze at the look on his face. "What's that face for?"

Merlin's eyes were squinting at a big table in the middle of the room and he chewed his bottom lip.

"Merlin?"

"I have an idea." Merlin got up and walked over to the bar. Cas watched as he leaned in close to the bartender and started conversation with him. He sauntered back, a triumphant smile on his face. "If the party isn't coming to us, then we'll bring the party here."

Cas was scared of the evil gleam in Merlin's eye, "Merlin, what did you do?"

Merlin waved his hand casually in the air, "Oh nothing, just requested a song or two, and a few pitchers of beer."

The door to the pub opened, distracting Cas. He glanced over and jumped out of his seat when he saw who entered.

Arthur and Dean were at the same pub as them.

"_Merlin!_" Cas hissed, "Look who's here."

Merlin looked over his shoulder, and then back at Cas, "Spying no doubt," he whispered.

They were about to duck into a dark corner, but their rivals spotted them before they could hide.

They expected jeers and teases, but instead, Merlin got a very hug friendly Arthur and Cas got a teary-eyed Dean.

Merlin and Cas exchanged looks. _What the hell?_ Merlin mouthed. _No idea._ Cas mouthed back.

"Is this like, a distraction technique?" Merlin asked, his voice muffled in Arthur's neck.

Arthur pulled back, "No, just, this is a lot harder without you."

Merlin stared at him, "Have you gone mad? Have I pushed you to insanity?"

"No," Arthur chuckled. "Just, missed you is all."

Merlin nodded in response, the words stuck on his lips.

Cas looked at Dean, who blinked back tears, "Are you okay?"

Dean nodded, he too took Cas in his arms and squeezed…really tight.

"Dean-Dean I can't breathe."

Dean let go, "Sorry, um, hey, Cas."

"Hey," Cas said, confused by Dean's reaction.

This was all really weird, and Merlin and Cas didn't know where this behavior was coming from. They were interrupted by the bartender who held four pitchers of beer in his hands. He plunked them down on the table and smiled, "Music is on its way. You boys don't have too much fun now." He gave a wink and walked away. Not a minute later music came on, and just like that, the atmosphere lifted.

"You ordered _four_ pitchers of beer?" Cas yelled over the music and increased noise.

Merlin shrugged, "We needed to summon Pippin and Merry!"

And summon Pippin and Merry they did, in the form of four boys; two dressed in Hogwarts uniforms and two in combat boots.

~o0o~

The four boys stood outside, huddled together under the London night sky. They weren't drunk, maybe a bit buzzed and very giggly.

"Alright, Cas, we gotta finish our list, we've only got an hour left."

Dean looked own at his watch, "Sonofabitch, Arthur, we gotta hightail it."

Arthur turned his back on Dean and took Merlin in his arms, "No matter who wins tonight, you are going to have the best night ever. I promise."

Merlin's mouth dropped in shock. Where were these words coming from? "Oh, okay."

Arthur smiled and gave Merlin a swift kiss.

Dean took Cas' hand and pulled him closer to his side, "I'm, um, thank you, for asking me to do this."

Cas dragged his hand through Dean's hair, making a ruffled mess of it. He tilted his head to the right, "You're welcome, are you sure you're okay?" He started to worry for him.

Dean grinned, "Yes, I'm more than okay." He leaned in and planted a kiss on Cas' jawline. "See ya later."

The two teams went their separate ways.

"What…" Merlin started.

"I don't know."

"But…"

"I know…"

This was definitely the most interesting day of their lives.

Note: Don't worry, it's just a little cliff hanger! Everything will be answered within the next to days!


	8. Day Eight: Shopping

Day Eight: Shopping

Merlin and Arthur strolled hand in hand into the grocery store.

"What do they like to eat?" Arthur asked, reading the aisle signs.

"Well, Dean eats anything and I know Cas is partial to burgers."

"Alright, burgers it is!" Arthur announced with finality. They perused the aisles, picking out ingredients and toppings for the burgers.

"Cheese, we need cheese," Arthur said. He zoomed past Merlin towards the dairy, cart rattling in front of him.

"Arthur, quit being a five year old; Arthur!" But the blonde haired boy was out of sight, laughing at Merlin's feeble attempts to control him.

"Prat," Merlin said under his breath.

Arthur was a loose cannon every time they went shopping; treating every trip like a quest. Merlin considered getting a leash to control him.

Merlin ran to catch up to him. When he finally found Arthur, he was holding up two cheeses.

"People are going to think I don't let you out," Merlin said, wrapping an arm around Arthur's waist.

"Cheddar or Swiss?" Arthur asked seriously. He held both cheeses up to Merlin's face.

"Hmm," Merlin pondered, "Swiss."

"Ew."

"Well then why did you ask? You never go with my choice anyway."

Arthur tossed the cheddar into the cart, "I did last night," he whispered into Merlin's ear. Merlin blushed as he remembered the sweet kisses that trailed his jawline and down his neck. How Arthur's skilled hands touched every inch of Merlin's body. It was the hottest, sweatiest, _sexiest_ night of Merlin's life. Everything Arthur did was filled with passion and desire…Merlin would never forget it.

He playfully shoved Arthur towards the cart, "Shush, let's get this shopping done before I rip your clothes off and ravish you on the yogurt."

Arthur's eyes flicked over Merlin's shoulder, "No one's watching," he whispered, craning his head to look at the aisles next to them. Merlin gave him a smack on the shoulder. "Ow, you were the one who brought it up."

"Clotpole, come on, they're expecting us in an hour."

Arthur frowned, 'Get my hopes up," he mumbled. Merlin rolled his eyes and pulled the cart towards the produce.

Merlin inspected the tomatoes and lettuce, while Arthur searched for pie. Merlin had just bagged his selection of tomatoes, when Arthur came back, without pie. Instead he held an enormous watermelon.

Merlin gaped at him, "What are you doing?"

Arthur perched himself on the edge of the refrigerated island, the watermelon on his lap. "I got watermelon."

"Yeah, I can see that…why?" Arthur gave him a devious smile.

"It looked good, and fresh, and…_big._"

Merlin stared at him, "What is wrong with you?"

Arthur laughed, "Seriously, Merlin, look at it, it's huge!"

"Are you being serious?" Arthur had lost his mind.

"Yes!" Arthur grabbed his hand and placed it on the watermelon, "Here, knock on it to see if it's ripe and ready."

Merlin rolled his eyes and knocked on the watermelon.

"Well?"

"It's hard…" Merlin replied, skeptical of where Arthur was going with this. There was a small gasp on the other side of the island behind Arthur. Merlin looked up and saw an old lady with a horrified look on her face. "Oh…no, he…it's-"

"Disgusting," she said, shaking her head.

Merlin shot Arthur a look, "You are an _arse_hole." He shoved Arthur, who was laughing so hard, he couldn't form words. Merlin growled in frustration, grabbed the watermelon, and left Arthur.

"No…Merlin!" He said through bouts of laughter, "Merlin…Merlin!" He had caught up, placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I'm sorry, it's just, I couldn't resist."

Merlin shot him another look. But he couldn't bring himself to be mad. Arthur's eyes were lit with childish joy, and well, those blue eyes…

Merlin sighed, "You're impossible."

"But that's why you love me," Arthur said. He leaned in and kissed Merlin's jaw under his ear, a sensitive spot. Merlin tried shielding it with his shoulder, but Arthur wrapped his arms around him, using his strength in order to get to Merlin's sweet spot.

"Arthur," Merlin gasped, "People are _staring_."

Arthur took a quick look around, "Let 'em."

Merlin placed his hands on Arthur's chest and tried pushing him away. It didn't push him away, but Merlin was able to swivel around in Arthur's grasp, his back now to Arthur.

"From behind? But _Mer_lin, we're in public," Arthur said, feigning his surprise.

"Arthur!"

"Okay, okay," Arthur let Merlin go. Both boys straightened their shirts and fixed their hair. "Carry on folks, nothing to see." Arthur said to the other shoppers who were watching the boys' struggles.

"Gosh Melin, you're holding us up. Dean and Cas will think we stood them up."

"Go get the patty's, I'll head to check out," he said, ignoring Arthur.

"Yes, sir."

Finally, Merlin and Arthur were on line. Merlin checked the time; they were running late. Merlin huffed as he craned his neck to check the progress of the line. "Remind me to never take you shopping again."

Arthur tried to look hurt, "I'm crushed," he said, placing a hand over his heart. Arthur's attention was drawn to a shelf next to them.

"Should we get this too?" He held up a sympathy card.

"Why?"

"For you and Cas…when we beat your ass at the hunt." He laughed at his joke, "Oh and some of this, for the massages" he said, grabbing lube.

"Bloody hell, Arthur. If you keep it up with your antics, you're not getting _that_ kind of massage for a whole week." Arthur's mouth popped open.

"For God's sake, just tell the whole world you two are fucking each other senseless!"

Merlin and Arthur spun around and found themselves face to face with the old lady from the produce aisle.

Needless to say, Merlin and Arthur had never been more embarrassed in their lives.

Note: Sorry this one was so short (and for my terrible humor!) Next chapter should be longer!


	9. Day Nine: Hanging With Friends

Day Nine: Hanging With Friends

Dean and Cas waited eagerly for Merlin and Arthur's arrival. They had called to say they would be running late. Merlin said something about PDA and old ladies.

Dean double checked everything; the TV was ready for camera hook up, the chips had been set out, and the drinks were on ice. He sat back and admired his work.

Dean heard the shower shut off and Cas pull back the curtain. A minute later he came out; a towel wrapped loosely around his hips.

"Everything set up?" He asked, searching the room. His wet hair stood up at odd angles and water glistened on his skin.

"I think so. The TV was a bitch to hook up, though; we need to label those wires or something."

Cas wandered over to the couch. He leaned over the back, his face inches from Dean's. Dean looked over and admired the angel's profile. His bottom lip was between his teeth as he examined the TV set up. Dean wished he would stop squinting so he could see his eyes. Dean loved Cas' blue eyes. The way they shown bright when he smiled or laughed, or how they pierced him through to his soul when Cas was angry. The best was when they would soften when Dean kissed him.

A few droplets of water fell on Dean's shoulder and his eyes flicked up to Cas' hair. The smell of his shampoo wafted over to Dean whenever Cas moved. "You're dripping."

Cas turned his head to look at Dean, "I'm sorry?"

"Your hair, you're getting me wet."

Cas turned his head and squinted at Dean. His eyebrows disappeared behind his fringe as he looked up at his hair. His eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled. "Oops."

Dean chuckled and grabbed Cas' chin. He pulled him in for a long, lazy kiss. As much as Dean liked some stubble on Cas, his clean shaven face was amazing to touch; so soft and smooth. He gave Cas a few quick pecks before ruffling his hair, sending water droplets everywhere.

Cas laughed as he pushed himself off the couch, "We'll finish this later to celebrate my win," he said as he ran a hand through Dean's hair.

Dean turned to throw a pillow at Cas, who ducked it and stuck his tongue out. He rushed to his room before Dean could throw another pillow.

Merlin and Arthur arrived ten minutes later, carrying grocery bags filled with everything to make the perfect burger.

"Awesome, thanks guys," Dean said as he took the raw patties from Arthur. He went out to their little balcony where he had a small grill. As he started it up, Cas came out of the room wearing jeans and one of Dean's black t-shirts.

He helped Merlin cut up the tomatoes while Arthur cut the watermelon. He noticed Merlin and Arthur exchange affectionate glances.

"Hey, so what's the story about an old lady at the store?" He asked, slipping back inside.

Merlin's ears went red and Arthur ducked his head to smile.

"Well, Arthur over here decided to make innuendos which got us dirty looks from this old lady," Merlin said.

Arthur pointed a finger at Merlin, "Yes, but you were the one who said you wouldn't give me a hand job for a whole week." Dean choked on his beer.

"Little did we know, the old lady was behind us, again-"

"That's when she said we should just tell the world we're fucking," Arthur said, dumping a pile of cut up watermelon in a bowl.

Cas was laughing so hard he had to use the counter to hold himself up, "She actually said that?"

Merlin nodded, "Unfortunately, yes."

Dean went back out to finish the burgers, still smiling from their story.

Once the burgers were finished and everyone had made a plate, they sat around the TV, ready to embarrass the hell out of each other.

"I say we go down the list and compare evidence for each task and then compare the team as a whole, sound good?"

Everyone nodded, their mouths full of food.

Dean hooked up Merlin's camera to the TV first. Both teams had taken a picture of the first task. Merlin and Cas' picture showed them in a candy shop. Cas was crouched down his bow and arrow pointing away from Merlin, like he was keeping watch. Merlin had his wand out pointing towards a bowl of sour lollipops. He appeared to be casting a spell to extract a lollipop from the jar.

Dean and Arthur's picture showed Dean hiding in the bushes, Arthur above him in a tree, holding his wand out. Between them in the air was a small parachute, carrying the lollipop down to Dean.

"Oh my god, no way. Your lollipop is from your 'sponsor'. Damn, that's good. I think you guys won that one," Merlin said, taking a bite of his burger.

Dean and Arthur high-fived; for they were victorious in task one.

Both teams did pictures for numbers two and three. The pictures were identical, both teams took pictures of their characters playing basketball and holding their weapons up to save Big Ben. They tied for those two tasks.

Task four produced a video from both teams; finding platform 9 ¾.

Dean and Arthur's video was up first.

Arthur's character, Neville, strolled into the picture. He looked around making sure no one was watching. He ran towards the brick wall, and they must've paused it to make the illusion that Arthur had simply vanished. Dean's character, Peeta, came into the picture, frantically looking for Neville. _"Neville! Neville, not like this man, we've almost won! Neville!"_ People started walking by and Dean crouched against the brick wall, pretending to hide. The people passing by stared at him like he was crazy. Some whispered and other's laughed. Dean leaned against the brick wall and vanished, his scream cut off by the pause.

Merlin and Cas were rolling with laughter, "Shit guys," Merlin said, "That was brilliant." He wiped a tear from his eye.

"Yeah, yeah, let's see yours." Dean plugged in Merlin's camera. The same platform, but at a different angle, popped up on the screen. Merlin's character, Draco, came frantically running into view his wand out and aimed at the wall. Then all of a sudden, a girl dressed in black robes and wearing a mask, came out from behind the wall, firing spells at Merlin. _"Everte Statum!"_ She yelled, but Merlin brandished his wand and shouted _"Expelliarmus!"_ before the girl's 'spell' hit Merlin. _"You're not taking over Hogwarts this time!"_ Merlin yelled. Another person cloaked in black came out from behind the wall. Merlin looked frightened before he turned back and yelled over his shoulder, _"Kat!"_ Cas literally rolled into the frame, his bow pointing straight at the opponents as he stood up from his summersault. He let an arrow go and it hit the girl's friend in the stomach and he fell over. While the girl screamed for her friend, Merlin fired _"Stupefy!"_ at her and she dropped to the ground. Merlin and Cas ran towards the wall, doing the same trick with the camera. Merlin disappeared first. Cas took a few sweeps of their surroundings with his bow and arrow before disappearing.

Arthur and Dean sat stunned, while Merlin and Cas rambled on about how _epic_ that was.

Dean threw his hands up, "I'm done, that was awesome. You guys got that one." Merlin and Cas pumped their fist into the air while Dean prepared the evidence for the next task.

"Guys, hey, guys!" Dean threw the pillow he was sitting on at Merlin and Cas, "It's the pub one."

All four of them exchanged glances; this one ought to be good.

Dean put his camera on first. His face came into view and he looked horrified. _"I am _not_ getting on the table, Merlin!"_ He hissed to the camera. You could hear Merlin laugh and his hand came into view, giving Dean's shoulder a shove, _"Come on, _Peeta_, show us your moves!"_ Dean looked mortified.

Cas sat on the couch covering his mouth, trying not to let his laughter escape his mouth. All four of them were in the pub that night, so they knew what was coming.

Back on the video, Dean rolled his eyes, _"I can't sing!"_ Cas' voice could be heard in the background, _"Bullshit, Dean, you sing all the time!" _Dean threw up the middle finger to an invisible Cas. He growled, looked down at his feet, and then back up at the camera, _"Fine!"_ He walked over to the table in the middle of the pub. He motioned for the bartender to turn down the music. Dean jumped up on the table. He rubbed his hands on his pants. He cleared his throat, _"Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way!"_ Merlin chuckled behind the camera, _"Louder, Peeta!" _ Dean shot him a look. Some people had swiveled in their chairs to look at Dean. He seemed to get some boost of confidence. He did a small bow, _"Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay!"_ He stood up straight and held out his arms. People began to cheer and put their glasses of beer up in the air. Dean finished his half song, half speech of Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On". It was one of Dean's favorites, and he knew every word by heart. Arthur only knew the chorus. When Dean finally got to the chorus, Arthur joined him on the table. The other people in the pub had now stood around the table, ready to sing along. The mood in the pub had gone from calm to concert riot in seconds. Arthur and Dean had gotten hold of some beer and they were swinging it along with their singing. When their singing was finished everyone applauded and cheered. Dean and Arthur took their bows. Arthur pointed at the camera, _"Your turn!"_ The camera shut off.

"That was fantastic! You guys actually sounded pretty good," Merlin said. At some point during the video, Merlin had moved over to sit on the arm of Arthur's chair; Arthur's arm wrapped around Merlin's waist.

Dean could feel his cheeks turning red. He plugged in Merlin's camera, "Thanks, but we can't judge yet, it's your turn." Dean hit play.

Merlin and Cas were already on the table, getting the crowd worked up. The song they chose was an easy one for Cas to learn in ten minutes. It was the West Ham United's song, "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles". Everyone in the pub was singing along with them, even Dean and Arthur. _"I'm forever blowing bubbles! Pretty bubbles in the air!"_ Cas' drink slopped out of his cup as he thrust it into the air. _"They fly so high, nearly reach the sky! And like my dreams, they fade and die!"_

As Dean watched the video, he recalled how Cas was more nervous than he was to do this. Dean had to actually help him onto the table he was shaking so bad. Watching the video now, you would've never guessed it.

Because their song was so short, Merlin and Cas had sung it three times, getting louder and louder each time. They received an ear splitting roar from the crowd when they jumped off the table, hands thumping their backs. Arthur let the video roll and followed Cas as he pushed his way through the crowd. _"Dean! Dean!"_ He yelled. Dean came into view from the side and Cas ran into his arms, their lips locking instantly.

"Oh my God…you taped that?" Cas sunk into the sofa covering his face with embarrassment. Merlin and Arthur chuckled.

"Sorry mate, couldn't resist," Arthur said. Dean looked back at the video and watched as he and Cas grabbed at each other's hair and clothes, holding onto anything they could. Dean's heart fluttered as Cas pulled away from the kiss on the screen.

"_I love you!"_ Cas yelled over the crowd. Dean's face lit up on the camera and his smile widened. _"I love you, too!"_

The video stopped, showing a still of Dean and Cas leaning their foreheads together, both smiling like idiots.

Dean couldn't bring himself to look at Merlin and Arthur. He only had eyes for Cas, who was looking at Dean through his fingers, his hands still covering his red face.

"If you and Cas were a team, I would've said you guys won, but I'm gunna have to say Merlin and Cas got that one," Arthur said.

Dean nodded, "I agree," he was still looking at Cas, who had a big smile on behind his hands. He finally pulled them away and rubbed them on his jeans.

"Alright, next one!" He said.

The next two were videos and again very similar in how they were done. Merlin and Cas had gotten a group of teens to do the three finger salute with them, while Dean and Arthur had gotten a group of old people. That one was given to Dean and Arthur, somehow they got one of the old people to shed a tear or two for the video.

"That's what happens when you show your face, Arthur, you make old people cry." While Merlin and Arthur had a tussle on the couch, Dean put on the next video; the pokeball fight.

Merlin and Cas' video showed them battling it out and dodging a car, but they went right on battling as if nothing happened. Arthur and Dean's weren't as extravagant and showy, so they lost that one.

Cas bounced on the couch, "We're in the lead!" Merlin joined him on the couch, giving Cas a high-five.

The pictures of London's very own Barad-dûr, were once again similar; both showing the two teams shielding themselves from the 'eye'.

"Man, we are so not a creative group of people," Arthur mumbled through a mouthful of chips.

"Wait, are there only two more?" Cas asked.

Dean nodded, "The horcrux and the Mockingjay symbol."

Cas counted in his head, "We're tied."

Merlin stared at Cas as if this were a life or death situation, "These two will determine who wins…"

Dean and Arthur exchanged glances, "Oi, you bet laundry and massages, not your lives, calm down." Arthur threw a pillow at Merlin's head.

It was true, it wasn't life or death, but there was still excitement and tension in the air as Dean played Merlin and Cas' horcrux video.

They strolled into an antique shop looking mysterious and serious. (Arthur and Dean laughed at them trying to be sly in the video, which earned them both a face full of pillow). Merlin walked up to the old man behind the counter. _"Hello, I'm looking for an item. An heir loom of an old family." _The old man looked down at a piece of paper. _"Ah, Mr. Malfoy."_

"You gave him a script?" Arthur screeched.

"Yeah, he was totally into it!" Merlin replied.

Arthur and Dean growled in annoyance, "It's okay Arthur, I think we got them on this." He gave Arthur a wink, and the two boys on the couch looked a tad bit worried.

"_I think I have just the thing you're looking for."_ The old man ducked behind the counter and pulled out an old tattered diary. There were stains on the cover, and the pages were yellowed with age. _"I hope this suits your needs."_ Cas took the diary from the man and inspected it. He flipped through the pages. A few of the pages in the front had writing, but the rest was empty. _"It's perfect Mr. Borgin. How much?"_ The old man held it out to inspect it. _"For you good sir, five galleons."_ Cas pulled money out of his pocket and gave it to the man.

"I hope you got your money back," Dean said. When he didn't hear a response he looked to Cas, who was, yet again, red in the face again and chewing on his bottom lip. "You didn't. You didn't get your money back? Merlin, why didn't you remind him?"

Merlin held up his hands in defense, "Hey, don't look at me, he actually wanted to buy the thing."

Dean stared at Cas, "You _bought_ it?"

Cas shrugged, "Yes, it was my money so I bought it…plus it had interesting entries and I have an idea of what I want to use it for."

Dean sighed, "Alright." He still thought it was a stupid idea to buy an old, already used, diary.

The rest of their video was the old man putting it in a brown bag, and Merlin and Cas leaving.

Dean put in his camera and Arthur sat up rubbing his hands together, excited for what was next.

The video started by taping what seemed like bushes and flowers, but a closer look showed Dean hiding in the overgrown hedges. The camera zoomed in and Dean held a finger to his mouth, making a shushing sound. _"Where is it?"_ Arthur whispered. Dean pointed, _"I found her."_ The camera followed Dean's finger. Beneath a bush was a snake; a breathing, living, slithering snake.

"Holy…shit," Merlin breathed.

"You-you found a real snake?" Cas asked, mesmerized by the creature on the screen.

Dean and Arthur just smirked and turned back to the video.

Dean was now crouching close to the snake. (The tension in the room to see what happened next, hung heavy in the air). The video was silent…and then it happened all at once, the snake slithered fast towards Dean, who yelled and fell back. The camera shook as Arthur fell back with him. Dean was scurrying away, but the snake chased after him. _"Sonofabitch, Arth-I mean Neville, do something!"_ Arthur's wand came into view and he yelled _"Um, um, crucio! Diffindo! Expelliarmus!" "No! A REAL something you idiot!"_ The snake was no longer advancing on Dean, but it had him cornered against a tree. Dean was breathing heavy and he didn't take his eyes off the snake. They were still, _"I-I don't know what to do. Try moving."_ Dean moved his foot and the snake hissed, _"Jesus!" _ He clutched his chest. _"This paint sucks! It's not doing its job! Katniss!"_ At this point Arthur was laughing hysterically behind the camera. _"Yeah, thanks buddy, just laugh at me while Voldemort's friggin snake stalks me!"_ _"Try parseltongue, maybe you'll tell it to leave you alone." "Or maybe I'll end up telling it I'm a juicy piece of ass that he'd love to sink its teeth into!" "Just try it!" _Dean licked his lips and looked into the camera, _"If I die, I blame you. Gryffindor my ass."_ Dean made hissing noises. _"Holy shit, De-Peeta, you made it move…"_ The snake had slithered away. Dean and Arthur scurried away from the bushes. The camera pointed at Dean who looked like he just witnessed a miracle. He looked into the camera and the biggest smile spread across his face. The camera shut off.

The room was silent. Dean and Arthur looked to Merlin and Cas, losing it at their faces. Cas looked horrified, while Merlin's mouth formed a perfect 'o'.

"Fuck," Merlin finally said.

Cas looked at Dean, "What if that bit you?"

Dean just laughed him off, "Well, it didn't and if you don't mind boys, I say we won that one."

Merlin and Cas threw up their hands in frustration, "Okay, but there's still one more, and it's possible we could tie!" Cas pointed out.

"Fine, fine, what did you guys do? A picture or video?"

"Picture," Merlin said.

'Us too, Dean, if you would kindly bring up the pictures."

They waited in anticipation for Merlin and Cas' picture to load. The two boys leaned forward on the couch, waiting.

Finally it popped up.

It was a picture of a caricature artist drawing the last details of the Mockingjay symbol on a white canvas. Merlin and Cas sat in the chairs behind the canvas, posing, "oblivious" to the fact that the artist wasn't drawing them.

"Clever! Nice one guys," Arthur said.

"It was Cas' idea actually. He saw them drawing and he got all excited and told me his idea. Brilliant mate."

Cas smiled, "Thanks, what did you guys do?"

Dean hooked up his camera, he looked back at Arthur and smiled.

Their picture came up.

It was a group picture of elementary school kids with Dean and Arthur. They stood in the middle of the group; Arthur had a little boy on his back both of them holding out their 'wands' towards the camera. Dean had a little girl with blonde, curly hair on his shoulders, both of them with flowers in their hair, "camouflaged". About ten more kids piled around them, all of them with huge smiles and either holding wands or sporting camouflage. Every kid, including Arthur and Dean, wore different colored t-shirts; the Mockingjay symbol hand drawn on every t-shirt.

"Damn, kids? Really?" Merlin said, exasperated.

Cas shook his head, "You can't beat kids."

"How did you get them to do that?" Merlin asked.

Arthur shrugged, "We were desperate for this one. This was after the snake incident. We were sitting on a bench and some kids came over, the little boy on my back and the girl on Dean's shoulders."

"The girl loved my camouflage and the boy wanted to duel with Arthur. So, Arthur actually got up and dueled with him and the girl made flower crowns with me. That's when they asked what we were doing," Dean continued.

"So we told them and they offered to help. They introduced us to their, I don't know what they were, tutors, teachers, something, anyway, they were all going to make t-shirts in the park with whatever they wanted and they agreed to make the Mockingjay symbol," Arthur finished.

Merlin and Cas were stunned, not only because they lost the nerd competition, but because they were shocked that their boyfriends, who didn't want to do this in the first place, came up with such a brilliant idea.

Dean cleared his throat, "So, um, looks like you guys owe us a week's worth of full body massages and laundry…"

Arthur laughed into his hand.

Merlin and Cas gave each other defeated looks, then looked at their boyfriends. Dean and Arthur grinned wide, loving every minute of their victory.


	10. Day Ten: Animals

Day Ten: Animals

(Note: The original prompt had to do with animal ears, and I wasn't sure how to make that work, so I switched it up a bit. Hope you like it!)

After a few sunny days of bliss, the skies opened up. Cas' plans to take Dean on a picnic in the park was foiled, but Cas got creative and he planned a picnic inside.

Dean was waiting for Cas to come home. He had some sort of surprise for Dean. He wouldn't admit it, but he was a little bit excited to see what Cas had planned.

Dean lay in his bed, enjoying the warmth of the blankets and the rain pounding on the window. He was drifting in and out of sleep when he heard the door click closed. Dean peaked through his eyelashes at his door, waiting for it to open. Dean lifted his head from his pillow, "Cas?"

His bedroom door opened and Cas peaked his head in, his hair soaking wet.

Dean chuckled, "You know, they have these things called umbrellas, I heard they work really well when it's raining out."

Cas smiled, but didn't enter.

"So uh…whatchya doin'?" Dean asked.

"Um," he looked down at something in his arm, which was blocked by the door. Dean wondered if it was the surprise for him. He felt a little guilty for the excitement that rose up inside him. It's not like Cas hasn't been giving him full body massages or anything…

"Well?"

Cas looked nervous as he pushed opened the door. Dean's excitement dropped a little when he didn't see anything in Cas' hands, but then he noticed that whatever Cas had, it was tucked away under his jacket.

"Don't be mad," Cas said.

Dean's brow furrowed, "Why would I be mad?"

Cas walked over to the bed, sat down on the edge and pulled out the mystery object; except, it wasn't an object, far from it actually.

It was a ball of orange, fluffy fur. It mewed.

"I was going to surprise you with an inside picnic, blanket on the floor and everything. I was on my way to the store when I found her in a box. It said 'free kittens' on it, but it looked like it had been there for a while. The box was rotten and soaked, and she looks so malnourished. I couldn't leave her there…" Cas trailed off, nervous for Dean's reaction.

Dean stared at the kitten, then at Cas, "Umm…"

"I'll get rid of her, I'm sorry. I should've asked before bringing her here." Cas scooped up the kitten and cradled her against his chest.

It wasn't that Dean was upset; he was just…not expecting a cat to come out of Cas' coat.

Cas went to stand up, but Dean put a hand on his thigh, stopping him from rising, "Wait, Cas, I'm not upset. I just, you surprised me with it."

"I'm sorry. Is it possible that we can we keep her?"

Dean considered it. Neither of them have ever had a pet before, so he wasn't sure how to take care of one. There was feeding and cleaning and cat pans and loving and attention…Dean looked at the kitten closer. Its fur was a semi-dry matted, mess, and it was obvious this cat was not properly taken care of. The pads of her tiny little feet were scabbed and bleeding in some places. Dean's chest constricted with despair, how could someone leave a kitten outside like that?

The kitten's eyes were closed while it purred in Cas' arms. Dean reached out and ran a hand over her head. She opened her eyes and looked at Dean. She had big green-yellow eyes and she opened her mouth in a silent meow.

"I'll take good care of her, I promise," Cas whispered. Dean looked up at Cas who was looking at the kitten with affection.

Dean sighed, "I know you will, and I'll help."

"Yeah?"

Dean nodded, "Yeah but if we are both going to take care of her, you gotta let her meet me." Dean took the kitten from Cas' hands.

"Careful," Cas said.

Dean held her in front of his face. They stared each other until she lifted her paw and attempted to bat at his nose.

"Feisty, huh?" She blinked at him, a purr radiating through her tiny body.

"We should clean her up. That matted fur must be hurting her. I bought a few provisions."

Dean looked at Cas, skeptical, "What kind of provisions?"

He followed Cas out into the kitchen, kitten in hand.

"I got kitten shampoo, a bowl, a brush, a small thing of cat litter, and two types of food…I don't know what kittens eat when they're this young."

Dean shook his head, "Neither do I. She's probably going to need to take a trip to the vet. She might be hurt or sick and we can't tell." This made Dean's heart sink a little, "I don't know if we can afford it, Cas."

Cas gave the kitten a sad look and sighed, "I knew it was too good to be true. I-I'll take her to a shelter and return the stuff." Cas took the kitten out of Dean's hands.

Dean couldn't take it. He couldn't handle seeing Cas this distraught. Cas had already made a connection with the kitten, and the kitten _loved_ Cas. She nudged him with her head and purred loudly.

"Wait, Cas, we'll figure something out. Maybe someone knows a vet that could take a free look at her and determine if she'll need a lot of care."

Cas still frowned, "I don't want to make this hard on you, or me, so it's okay, I'll-"

"No, Cas, really, I'll call Merlin. His uncle is a doctor, he might know someone who can help."

"You sure?"

Dean nodded, "Positive."

Cas finally smiled.

"There it is, now go get her cleaned up, I'll call Merlin."

Merlin said he would call Gaius right away. So while Dean waited for a call back, he went into the bathroom to see how the kitten's bath was going.

"I don't think she enjoys being scrubbed clean."

Dean looked over Cas' shoulder at the kitten. She was wet and soapy, her eyes wide with fear. That's when Dean noticed Cas' hands. They had tiny little scratches all over them.

Dean chuckled, "Here, let me help." Dean held the kitten while Cas washed away the soap and brushed out her fur. A few of the matts had to be cut out, leaving thin spots of hair, but for the most part, she looked much healthier.

They cleaned the pads of her paws and fed her some of the milk replacement Cas got. Cas was sitting on the floor, watching her eat, when his phone rang.

"Merlin, hey, so what's the news?"

Cas looked up at Dean watching his face to interpret what was going on.

Dean nodded and smiled, "Do you have a number?" Dean grabbed a notepad and pen and scribbled down a number. "Thanks, Merlin, I'll give her a call." He hung up the phone.

"Well?"

"Merlin's uncle is good friends with a vet; she's willing to take a look at her. I'm gunna call this woman. Maybe you should set up a cat pan or something for her."

Gaius' friend, Alice, agreed to make a quick stop that night to examine the kitten. So while they waited, they played with the kitten. They drug shoe string along the floor and Cas laughed as she chased after it, occasionally catching it between her paws.

While the kitten was the cutest, cuddliest thing ever, she could be a terror at other times. She really enjoyed using Dean's leg as a scratching post, and was skilled at climbing up his leg to reach his shoulder.

All three of them had fallen asleep on the couch when there was a knock on the door. Dean scrambled to get off the couch to reach the door.

When he opened it, he was greeted by an older woman with a long, blonde braid in her hair.

"Hello, Dean, is it?" She held out her hand.

Dean took it and responded, "Yes, hi, come in."

Cas rose up from the couch, the kitten tucked against his chest. He too held out his hand.

"You must be the knight in shining armor who rescued this precious little thing, oh come here," she cooed as she gently took the kitten out of Cas' hands. She brought it over to the counter and began to run her hands along the kitten's limbs and body.

Fifteen minutes later, she turned to the boys, the kitten in her hands. "She seems healthy, aside from malnutrition and her paws, which did you two already take care of that?'

Cas stepped forward and nodded, "Yes, I hope we did okay?"

She smiled and handed Cas the kitten, "You did wonderfully. I would suggest taking her to at least get the basic shots and to be neutered of course."

"How much will it cost?" Dean asked.

Alice contemplated it for a second, "Anywhere between $150-$200."

Cas looked to Dean, a nervous expression on his face. Dean returned it, but he turned to Alice, "Thanks Alice, it means a lot that you came."

"No problem, dear. If you have any questions about taking care of her, just give me a call."

Dean and Cas showed Alice to the door. Once it was closed Dean turned to Cas.

"We don't have to keep her. That's a lot of money," Cas said before Dean could even open his mouth.

Dean held up a hand to stop him from talking, "No, Cas, we'll keep her."

"But-"

"We'll get summer jobs to help pay for it. It's not a big deal, I'm sure we can find something." Dean put his hands on Cas' shoulders and rubbed his hands up and down his arms, "We'll make I work, okay?"

Cas nodded, "Yeah…okay." He smiled.

"Plus, we all kind of bonded, there's no way I could get rid of her now," He said, scratching the kitten behind the ears.

"So, does that mean we can name her now?"

Dean chuckled, "Yes, what were you thinking?" Cas walked over to the couch and sat down. He let the kitten walk around on his legs. Dean joined him and the kitten jumped into his lap.

"Hmm…I don't know. I've never had to name anything before. There are so many choices, but we have to pick the perfect one because she's special, she's ours." Dean smiled at Cas' comment, his heart fluttering with affection.

Cas considered it for a minute, "Well, I found her on Harley Street….I don't know if you'll like the idea, but we could call her Harley?"

Dean wasn't sure why, but his already fluttering chest burst with joy. He loved the name and this was such a special moment for him and Cas. This kitten was _theirs. _They would name it, they would love it, nourish it, and it would be he and Cas giving this cat a home.

"I love it." Dean picked up the orange fur ball and held her up to his face, "Hi, Harley, I'm Dean and this-" He handed Harley over to Cas, "-Is the guy who saved your life. We will both love you very much, but remember, I saw Cas first; so if you try to take his side of the bed, there will be Hell to pay." He bopped Harley on the nose and she tried swatting at his finger.

Dean wasn't expecting it, but Cas grabbed both sides of Dean's face and pulled him in for a kiss. They broke apart and Cas leaned his forehead on Dean's, "Thank you, Dean, this means so much. I promise I'll take good care of her, and you."

"I know you will," Dean said, placing a hand on Cas' cheek. "Now let's go make some dinner. I'm starving."

Dean made chicken and rice and watched as Cas got Harley acquainted to the apartment. He set up her litter box and food dishes as Harley followed him around like a shadow. She was curious about everything, batting at it if it moved, or shaking her rump and pouncing on it if it didn't.

Harley was a perfect addition to their lives. Plus, it made Cas happy, and anything that made Cas happy, made Dean happy.


	11. Day Eleven: Animal Costume

Day Eleven: Animal Costume

(Note: There is sexual content and some light bondage in this chapter)

"Merlin, this is stupid, I am _not_ coming out of this dressing room." Arthur looked in the mirror. Why did he agree to come into this shop? Merlin always makes him do stupid things and take pictures of it. Nothing good ever comes out of it…ever.

He heard Merlin laugh, "Aw, come on Arthur. It can't be _that_ bad."

Arthur mumbled to himself and came out of the dressing room of the Halloween shop. Why these stupid places were open during the summer in the first place…

"You…look like a total turnip-head."

Arthur wore an oversize animal costume, a panda to be exact. It was baggy around every part of his body, not flattering to him at all.

"Put the hood up," Merlin demanded.

"No."

"Please?"

Arthur hesitated, his hands resting on the ears of the panda head, "I swear to God, if you take a picture-"

"I won't, I won't, just put it on."

Arthur pulled it on and sure enough, Arthur heard the picture sound on Merlin's phone go off.

"Merlin!"

"Sorry! Sorry, I couldn't…it's just," He stuttered, trying to make coherent sentence come out of his mouth, but his enjoyment got the better of him and he doubled over in laughter.

"You-that's it, you're getting it!" Arthur leaped forward and grabbed for Merlin's waist. Merlin dodged his reach with a squeak and ran down an aisle to his right. Arthur chased after him, his baggy costume making it hard to run properly. When he turned down the aisle, Merlin was brandishing a light up ninja sword. Arthur cautiously walked towards him, looking for a weapon of his own.

The first thing he saw was an Indian Jones whip. He took it and whipped it out. It made a loud cracking sound in the air and Merlin's enthused smile disappeared instantly.

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Oh, but I would," Arthur said, taking a few more steps towards Merlin, but stopped when Merlin began to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You're in a panda suit, holding a whip…you look like a porno gone wrong."

Something in Arthur boiled up; Merlin would pay for making him do this. He charged Merlin before the boy could recover from his bout of giggles. Merlin's eyes went wide and he slipped on the hard floor as he turned to escape Arthur's grasps. Arthur was almost on him, but Merlin was quick. His sword lit up as he gripped it tight and hit Arthur behind the knee with it.

He awkwardly fell to his knees, "Ah, idiot, ow, shit." He stood up, wincing from the pain of falling to his knees

Merlin stopped in his tracks, looking back at a pained Arthur. His shoulders sagged when he saw how mortified Arthur looked. Merlin walked towards him, hand out stretched, "I'm sorry, Arthur, forgive me? I won't make you dress in stupid costumes again."

Arthur eyed his hand apprehensively. He took Merlin's hand and shook, "I'll forgive you," Merlin smiled and Arthur tightened his grip, "But no yet." He yanked Merlin forward.

Merlin yelped and dropped his sword as Arthur tossed him over his shoulder. Merlin's legs kicked and he grabbed onto Arthur's costume in the back, "Arthur you arse! Put me down!"

The few other customers in the store turned their heads to get a better look at the commotion, "Nothing to see here, just another bad boy," He said to the onlookers, "Who needs to be punished," Arthur hissed to Merlin.

"What? Punished?" Merlin squeaked.

Arthur chuckled and carried Merlin over to the dressing rooms. He walked to the room he had gotten dressed in. Once inside, he set Merlin down and locked the door.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Merlin swallowed hard, watching as Arthur lifted the whip he still carried, "You are not going to whip me with that."

Arthur cocked an eyebrow, "I'm not? Are you sure?"

"Arthur Pendragon, I swear, if you hit me with that I'll…I'll scream!"

Arthur chuckled as he set the whip down. Merlin sighed in relief.

Arthur unzipped his panda suit and stepped out of it. He stood before Merlin in nothing but his boxers. Merlin swallowed as he watched Arthur. His beautiful greek god stood before him, a wicked smile playing on his face.

"Um…"

Arthur picked up the whip, "Turn around."

Merlin's eye widened, "Arthur…" he whimpered. Arthur wouldn't hit him with it, would he? No, that wasn't like Arthur, he wouldn't…then again, Merlin had humiliated him…but, no.

"I'm not going to hit you," Arthur said calmly.

Merlin turned and faced the wall, his heart pounding. Arthur grabbed his hands and tied them together with the rope, "What the-ow, Arthur, what-" Arthur spun him around and pushed him up against the wall, kissing him fiercely.

His hands travelled down Merlin's side, sending shivers from toes to scalp. Arthur's hands had found the button on his pants, and as he undid them, Merlin panicked.

He pulled away from Arthur's kiss, "Arthur, maybe you've forgotten but we're-ah," Arthur yanked Merlin's pants down, "-in public, Arthur, _jesus_."

Arthur ran his hands up Merlin's legs, to his hips, making sure to avoid the ache that Merlin felt. Merlin squirmed and cursed Arthur for tying him up and putting him in this position. Arthur trailed kissed over the top of Merlin's briefs, "Fuck, Arthur, please."

Arthur stood so he was face to face with Merlin. Merlin flushed at the sight of a wild eyed Arthur. He had to push against the wall to hold himself up because his legs seemed to stop working.

"Please what? Please stop?" He took a step towards Merlin, his hips pushing against Merlin's.

Merlin whimpered, "No…" Arthur made the slightest movement and his cock begged to be released. His head fell against the wall. Arthur kissed his exposed neck, smiling as Merlin purred.

Arthur spoke against Merlin's neck, "Do you promise not to make me do this again?"

Merlin didn't answer right away. Why were they here? A faint memory of Arthur in a panda suit came back to him. He had forgotten they were in a public dressing room, "I…I promise," He gasped. Merlin twitched as Arthur ran a hand over his briefs.

Arthur kneeled in front of Merlin. "Shit." He breathed. He closed his eyes and focused on Arthur's touch; his fingers skimming over his hips, slipping under the fabric. Arthur's hot breath against his cock.

Arthur slowly pulled Merlin's briefs down to his ankles. Merlin jerked his hips at the loss of touch. Arthur pushed him back against the wall. It frustrated Merlin that he couldn't touch Arthur. He couldn't run his hands through his blonde hair. He couldn't grasp for anything when he felt like he would come apart. He flattened his palms against the wall, the whip rubbing his skin.

Arthur kissed the crease of his thigh, his hands grabbing Merlin's ass. Merlin whimpered.

"_Mer_lin, you have to be quiet. There are people in the store." Arthur's breath tickled Merlin's skin.

Merlin bit his lip, holding back the moans as Arthur took Merlin in his mouth. He bit back all the groans as Arthur's tongue circled the tip of his cock. His hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palm. Arthur's teeth lightly grazed over Merlin's sensitive skin. He sucked in his breath, his hips hitching for more.

Merlin opened his eyes and looked straight ahead, trying to look anywhere but down.

"Fuck, Arthur," he groaned as he looked into the dressing room mirror and saw Arthur, his head at Merlin's hips, his knees spread apart as he stroked himself, "Jesus."

That was all Merlin needed. He came in Arthur's mouth, his body shaking with the effort to hold himself up. He tasted blood as he bit back what he was sure would've been a cry of pleasure. A few more pulls and Arthur came in his hand.

Merlin's hands were sweaty and were slipping against the wall. His knees gave and he sunk to the floor in front of Arthur, who had sat back on his heels.

"Damn you and your fucking mouth," Merlin whispered. Arthur grinned and reached out to touch Merlin's lip

"You're bleeding."

Merlin grinned, licking away the small amount of blood. "It was worth it…we should do this more often."

Arthur laughed and stood up, pulling his briefs and pants back on. He helped Merlin up and did the same for him. Arthur wiped his hands on tissue paper from another store bag.

"Are you gunna untie me?"

Arthur considered it, "I kind of like that look on you-"

"Arthur!"

"Alright, alright," He said, untying Merlin. Merlin rubbed his wrist, inspecting the rope burn. They were faintly red and raw.

He held them out to Arthur, "Look what you did!"

Arthur took his wrists and pressed his lips against them, "I'll take care of them when we get home," he murmured against Merlin's skin.

Once they were dressed, they peeked around the dressing room door. When they saw that it was clear they walked back out to the store.

Merlin looked around nervously. Had anyone heard them? A mom and her daughter watched them walk by. Shit, they knew…they all knew.

Merlin tugged on Arthur's shirt, "Arthur, they know!" He hissed.

"No they don't, calm down."

Arthur walked up to the cashier and placed the whip on the counter. He turned to a horrified Merlin and winked.

Arthur had a few plans for this whip.


	12. Day Twelve: Making Out

Day Twelve: Making Out

Dean's phone vibrated on the counter next to him. He picked it up and answered when he saw who was calling.

"Cas?"

"Hey, Dean, um are you busy?"

Dean looked around the empty apartment and watched as Harley scurried across the living room floor, chasing a fake mouse.

"Nope," he said, exaggerating the 'p'.

"If I give you an address, will you come?"

Dean's heart skipped a beat, "Are you okay?" Cas didn't sound scared or upset, but he couldn't be sure. Why was he calling him so late on a Sunday night anyway? Where was he? He should be home by now. "Cas, what's wrong?"

Cas giggled, "I'm fine, Dean, but I need you to come to this address," Dean wrote down the address, "-and bring a light jacket." Cas hung up without another word.

Dean put Harley in Cas' room, as she meowed in protest, "I'll be right back, promise." He patted her on the head and left.

~o0o~

Cas rubbed his hands on jeans. He was nervous and he hoped Dean wouldn't think he was an idiot for doing this. He wanted it to be perfect. He had put a lot of effort into this…it had to be perfect.

He leaned against the wall, waiting for Dean to come. People walked past him, little kids complaining that they were tired, couples holding hands and whispering to each other. His stomach had a million butterflies in it and he felt nauseous. He ran a hand through his hair, no doubt messing it up. Dean had done so much for him, he deserved this, he reminded himself.

A cab pulled up to the curb and Dean stepped out looking frantic. He gave the driver his money and bounded up to Cas.

"Are you okay? What are you doing out here? What happened?" He grabbed Cas' arms and inspected him for injury.

Cas smiled, "I'm fine, Dean," he grabbed Dean's face, "I'm fine. I-this is a surprise date." He looked at Dean, hoping he wouldn't think it was stupid.

Dean looked at the building behind him and then at Cas, "Ice…skating? It's the middle of summer, Cas."

Cas smirked, "I know, but it's something neither of us has done and I thought it was…different." He looked down at his feet embarrassed.

He heard Dean sigh as he pulled Cas close to his body, wrapping his arms around him, holding him tightly. Cas wrapped his arms around Dean's waist, clutching at his jacket.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go ice skating," Dean said with a wink. With and arm around Cas' shoulders and one of Cas' arms still around Dean's waist, they walked into the rink.

"It's empty."

Cas nodded, "I asked if they could keep it open an hour later, I had to pay a few dollars extra, but it was worth it." He smiled up at Dean who dipped his head to kiss the top of Cas' head.

They grabbed their skates and went out to the ice.

"Okay, so how do I do this?" Cas asked, nervously staring at the ice. Dean stepped onto the ice, a little wobbly at first, but he turned to face Cas and held out a hand.

Cas took his hand and stepped onto the ice, "Oh God, don't let go," He closed his eyes as Dean pulled him forward. He began to wonder if this was such a good idea after all.

"Don't worry, I won't. Just take it slow; remember, I've never done this either."

Cas opened his eyes and relaxed when he realized he was steady on the ice. Dean pushed off with one foot and propelled both of them forward. Cas wobbled and held out the other hand for balance.

"I can do this, this isn't too bad," he said, trying to reassure himself.

They glided slowly for a while, getting use to the ice and the skates. Cas' heart was no longer pounding and his butterflies were gone. He enjoyed the light breeze that played with his hair as they took a turn.

"So, an angel of the Lord has never been ice skating?" Dean asked, pulling Cas closer to his side.

Cas shook his head, "No ice rinks in Heaven, Dean." He looked to Dean and saw that he was deep in thought, there was something else he wanted to ask, Cas could feel it, "What's on your mind?"

"Hm?" Dean hadn't realized that Cas saw him contemplating another question. "Oh, um…why me?"

Cas tilted his head, "What do you mean?"

"Why did I receive a guardian angel and why did said guardian angel fall in love with me?"

"Everyone has a guardian angel, it's up to the angel if they want to show themselves or not. When I was assigned to watch over you I never thought I'd be one of those angels who show themselves. But as I watched you grow up, I saw your struggles; your parents dying, your struggle to keep you and Sam in school so you two could have a normal life." Cas paused, listening to the sound of their skates on the ice.

"So what ultimately made you want to show yourself?"

Cas thought about it for a moment, "When you got your acceptance letter to the University. You and Sam were both ecstatic about it, but I saw that you feared for Sam and you were afraid to leave him. I knew Sam would get into the same University, but you needed someone there to keep you grounded."

"And that's when I ran into you at the airport," Dean said.

Cas nodded, "I didn't know I would fall in love with you though."

Dean stopped abruptly, causing Cas to lose his balance. They teetered with each other for a moment, trying not to let the other fall, but Cas' skates slipped under him and he fell forward onto Dean. Dean clutched Cas' jacket as they topped backwards. They landed on the ice, both of them a giddy mess. Their laughing making it almost impossible to get back up, so they laid on the ice, Cas on top of Dean, using his elbows to prop himself up.

Dean reached up and ran his hands through Cas' hair. Cas closed his eyes, sighing at the touch. Dean's hands rested on the base of Cas' neck. Cas leaned against Dean, putting his arms on either side of Dean's head, bringing his lips closer to his.

Cas hovered over Dean's lips, patiently waiting for Dean to close the gap, but he didn't. Instead, Dean stared into Cas' eyes, like he was searching for something. Cas wondered what he was thinking. Was he thinking about Cas' lips on his? Was he waiting for Cas to make the first move? Or was he thinking about what Cas said? Did he still doubt that he wasn't worthy of Cas' love, and angel's love?

Because he was. He was worth it all. Dean was worth living a human life. He was worth the struggle to become human. Everything Dean did amazed Cas. How he mumbled in the morning when Cas tried to wake him up. How some days, his hair never laid flat. Cas enjoyed watching Dean cook, a smile always on his face. He loved the way Dean touched him. Whether it was a hand on his back, warning him not to step back to quickly or else the dinner would end up on the floor or Dean's fingers trailing over his palm as he attempted to hold his hand.

Right now, all he wanted was Dean's kiss, his gorgeous lips on Cas', the gentle touch of soft lips.

Cas closed the gap between them, unable to old back any longer. Dean's head lifted slightly off the ice, kissing Cas back. Their noses bumped, and Cas could feel Dean's smile against his. He held Cas against his chest as he sat up, their lips never leaving each other. Dean ran his hands through Cas' hair, stroking his neck. Cas straddled Dean's legs and wrapped his arms around Dean's neck.

He wasn't sure how long they sat there, they got lost in each other's kisses and soft sighs. Every so often, their eyes would meet each other, making Cas' pulse quicken and Dean's hands clutch at Cas' hair.

This was what was perfect, wanting each other close and touching each other. Connecting in ways only lovers could.

Dean kissed the corner of Cas' mouth, his jaw, his neck…

Cas pulled Dean's head back and kissed his perfectly bowed lip, his cheek, his temple…

Cas rested the side of his head against Dean's, hugging him close, stroking his back. One of Dean's hands traveled down his back, while the other stayed in his hair.

They sat like that for a while before Dean spoke up, "I think the ice is soaking through my pants. I can't feel my ass."

Cas laughed and reluctantly pulled away from the hug. On unsteady feet, he pulled Dean up with him. They held each other until they were sure they wouldn't fall.

They took one more lap around the rink before leaving.

Back in the apartment they fell asleep in each other's arms, Cas' head against Dean's chest, Dean's head resting on the top of Cas' head, and little Harley, curled up in the curve of Cas' legs.


	13. Day Thirteen: Eating Ice Cream

Day Thirteen: Eating Ice Cream

(Note: There is sexual content in this chapter)

"Merlin! Do not touch that ice cream."

Merlin's spoon hovered over the dish; his mouth watered for the delicious taste of Arthur's scrumptious Sundaes. He scowled and slumped back against the couch. "So you're just going to place it in front of me and torture me with it?"

Arthur chuckled from the kitchen where he was putting the ice cream away, "Don't be so dramatic."

Arthur came into the room and sat on the floor next to Merlin. He draped an arm on the couch behind Merlin and scooped up a bit of vanilla ice cream and a slice of banana. "You first." He held the spoon out to Merlin.

"Hmm, oh my God. I haven't had a Sundae in forever," Merlin gave Arthur his spoon back and the two of them dug into the glacial Heaven in front of them.

Merlin went for a particularly large slice of banana, but Arthur's spoon intercepted, "Oh, no you don't, that's my piece." Arthur pushed Merlin's spoon away.

"Excuse me? But you ate all the chocolate ice cream, I think that entitles me to have the biggest piece of banana in the bowl," Merlin stated, clanking Arthur's spoon away.

Arthur stared at him, "Who's the one who cut the bananas? Oh, right, that would be me. Besides, you don't even like chocolate ice cream."

That was Merlin's cue to snatch up the banana, but Arthur was paying attention to all of Merlin's actions. At first it was just their spoons fighting for the sweet fruit, but that changed in a matter of seconds. The arm that Arthur had draped behind Merlin was now on his shoulders trying to pull him away. Merlin's legs had wrapped around and entwined themselves in Arthur's.

He tried shoving Arthur with his shoulder, but to no avail. Arthur turned to an evil tactic of tickling.

"Ar-Arthur!" Merlin gasped through laughter, "Not fai-" His last words were lost in laughter as the tickling became too much to handle.

While Arthur held Merlin down with one hand, he used the other to scoop up the banana and eat it.

Merlin's mouth popped open, "Prat." He pushed Arthur off him, scooped up a handful of whipped cream, and shoved it in his face.

"Merlin!"

Merlin doubled over in laughter, "That's what you get-who, wait no, Arthur!" Arthur grabbed the can of whip cream on the table and aimed it at Merlin. Merlin sputtered as it hit him square in the face. He tried scurrying away, but Arthur was quick. He grabbed Merlin by the middle and pulled him back. Merlin yelped and tried to shield his face from the whipped cream, but Arthur was relentless.

He began spraying it in Merlin's hair and down his shirt. It was when Arthur went to pull back his pants, that Merlin had a burst of energy, "Not down my underwear!" He twisted around and grabbed the can, trying to pry it from Arthur's grip. They struggled for a moment before Merlin could finally claim the can his. Arthur rolled onto his knees and took off for the bedroom, giggling like a child. He slammed the door shut behind him, but Merlin turned the knob so he couldn't lock it.

"Aw come on Arthur, that's not very sportsman like of you!" He pushed against the door, but Arthur was stronger than Merlin. His socks began sliding on the floor, but he was determined to get Arthur.

Merlin gave one hard shove to the door, leaving an opening big enough to fit his foot in. He used his foot to help pry open the door.

The pressure on the other side of the door vanished and he stumbled into the room. Arthur was backing away from him, hands held out and eyes lit with amusement.

Merlin launched himself forward. They fell onto the bed and Merlin straddled him, whipped cream pointed right at Arthur.

"Merlin, plea-"

Merlin sprayed Arthur right in the mouth and all over his face. But as soon as Merlin was beginning to enjoy his payback, the can hissed and the whipped cream came out in spurts.

Merlin shook the can and frowned, "Well, that's no fun." He shrugged and threw the can behind him. He leaned forward and scraped some whipped cream off Arthur's face and ran it through his blonde hair.

Arthur was no longer struggling against Merlin. In fact, he watched him as he mushed whipped cream in his hair. Smiled when he took some whipped cream out of his own hair and shoved it down Arthur's shirt.

"There, now we're even," He said, admiring his work.

Arthur held Merlin's hips and watched as whipped cream dripped from Merlin's hair, "We are a sticky, mess."

Merlin smirked, "And what do you propose we do about that?" He asked, trailing a finger through the cream on Arthur's t-shirt.

Arthur grabbed Merlin's wrist and licked the cream off of Merlin's finger. Merlin smiled and leaned forward. He kissed the whipped cream off of Arthur's lips, "Maybe we…" He kissed more off of Arthur's jaw, "…could…" He licked some off his neck. Arthur moaned under Merlin's gentle kisses and touches. He didn't let Merlin finish.

He sat up abruptly, startling Merlin, who grabbed the front of Arthur's shirt. Arthur's lips found Merlin's as he stood up, lifting Merlin off the bed. Merlin wrapped his legs tighter around Arthur's waist, his hands wrapped around his neck.

Merlin's back collided with the wall next to the bathroom. He doesn't remember Arthur carrying him all the way over there, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was Arthur's hands on him and his lips kissing his jaw and neck. Arthur dipped down to his collarbone, sucking off the whipped cream. Merlin clawed at Arthur's back, wishing his shirt would just come off him.

"Shower," Merlin breathed. He felt Arthur smile against his neck. With Merlin's legs still wrapped around Arthur, he carried him into the bathroom. Their clothes were off within seconds, Merlin having almost literally ripped Arthur's off.

Arthur pushed Merlin against the tiled wall and reached for a wash cloth. He ran the wash cloth over Merlin's body with aching slowness. He yearned for Arthur's touch, and this little wash cloth foreplay was not doing it for him.

Merlin grabbed the cloth and threw it to the side. He pulled Arthur against him, and they were lost in a slick, wet tangled mess of limbs.

Arthur spun Merlin around, the side of his face pressed up against the wall. He kissed and sucked on Merlin's neck from behind, coercing moans out of the dark haired boy.

He trailed kisses along Merlin's shoulders and whispered in his ear, "Don't go anywhere."

Merlin's head spun and his body shivered when Arthur's presence was gone. He placed an arm above his head, resting his forehead against it, trying all he could to not to take care of himself before Arthur could come back.

He heard the curtain pull back and welcomed the hand that ran down his back. Arthur trailed his fingers down Merlin's side and to his thigh. Using his foot, he spread Merlin's legs apart and worked one, then two lubed fingers into Merlin. Arthur continued his lazy kissing and sucking of Merlin's neck, as if he didn't have two fingers inside Merlin working him loose.

Arthur's free hand wrapped around Merlin's middle, holding him close to Arthur's chest.

"Arthur, please," Merlin moaned, wanting, _needing_, Arthur inside him, filling him.

Arthur didn't hesitate any longer. Merlin pressed a flat palm against the tile as he felt the tip of Arthur's cock. He gasped and moaned as Arthur entered him, satisfying the aching void.

He curled his fingers against the tile, wishing he had something to clutch to. He reached down and stroked himself, slowly and in time with Arthur's thrusts. Arthur gripped Merlin's hips tighter as he drove into him harder, faster.

Arthur laid his head on Merlin's shoulders, kissing the spot between Merlin's shoulder blades as they both came. Arthur slipped out of Merlin and held him, enjoying the warmth of the shower against their sensitive and flushed skin.

"You still have whipped cream in your hair, _Mer_lin," Arthur whispered in his ear.

Merlin laughed, and turned around so he could kiss Arthur's beautiful mouth.

By the time they had properly washed themselves, the water had gone cold and the ice cream was a small pond in their bowl.


	14. Day Fourteen: Gender Swapped

Day Fourteen: Gender Swapped

Dean was curled up in bed, wrapped under his comforter. It was quiet in the room as Dean drifted in and out of sleep. It couldn't be time to wake up, could it? He didn't want to move, he was too comfortable, too content with where he was.

Dean had moved into Cas' room. His bed was bigger, more comfortable, and Dean couldn't stay away from Cas' warm embrace any longer.

When they had separate rooms, and before they had established their relationship, Dean would lie in his bed and stare at the ceiling. He would think about Cas and what it would be like to cuddle with him, spoon him. He couldn't believe he waited so long to actually make a move on Cas. Holding his hand for the first time felt like winning a race. He worked so hard to get up the courage to just take his hand, but it paid off in the end.

He heard the door creak open and close shut. What was Cas doing? Dean was curious so he peeked through his eyelids and the first thing he saw was the bright red letters on the clock telling Dean that it was only three in the morning. He groaned and rolled over. Hopefully Cas was okay, because he didn't want to leave the warmth of his bed.

He watched the door waiting for it to open and for Cas to stumble back to the bed and crawl into Dean's arms.

It took a while for Dean to notice the dark shadow in front of the door. No, not a shadow, a person.

Dean lifted his head, "Cas?" he asked hoarsely.

"Hey baby," a sweet, woman's voice said from the shadows.

She walked away from the door and towards the bed. She stopped by the side of the bed. In the moonlight, Dean could see her long, dark wavy hair falling past her shoulders and breasts. Her silhouette was all curves.

She crawled into bed next to him and placed a hand on his chest. He rolled onto his back as she straddled him. Dean could see her blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. She tilted her head to the left, "What's wrong Dean?"

Dean blinked, unaware that he had been staring, "Nothing, just…"

Just what? Dean didn't understand, this was Cas, _his_ Cas, why did he feel like something wasn't right? Everything seemed normal. Her hair hung in beautiful curtains, framing her face and always squinting eyes. He wondered if maybe she needed glasses…

She was wearing her usual pajamas; tank top and underwear, but there was something about her that twisted Dean's gut and told him to stop. Stop touching her, stop looking at her, because it didn't feel right.

Dean couldn't figure it out. He always held Cas like this. Trailed hands down her sides and thighs as she kissed him.

As if she was reading Dean's mind, she leaned down and kissed him gently on the lips. He ran his hands up her sides, her shirt riding up. Dean loved her soft skin and curves. The way she fit perfectly in his hands or wrapped in his arms.

Her kiss deepened, sending small waves of want through Dean. Dean suddenly felt guilty. Why? Why was he guilty about her hands on his bare chest while she kissed him? Why should he feel guilty about the passion that swept through him, urging him to slip her shirt off?

He blocked out the guilt, wanting to enjoy this moment with Cas. He cupped her breasts and she curled her fingers on his skin, leaving faint white lines from her nails. She rolled her hips forward and Dean moaned, wanting more…

_No_, something told him no. Don't let her lay her bare chest against his. Don't let her slip a hand down the back of your boxers.

But this is what Dean wanted, wasn't it? He wanted Cas to touch him, to love him. So why was his brain telling him no?

He ignored the screaming in his head. He turned his head and kissed her neck and shoulders while he gripped her hips tighter, holding her close.

She squeezed his ass, making him groan and bite down on her shoulder. She removed her hands from their position and planted soft kisses all over his neck, chest, stomach…

_No._

She pulled his boxers down and he gasped her name, "Cas."

_No._

Her hands ran up and down his thighs and he ached for her to touch him.

"Cas," he groaned.

_Stop, Dean, stop now…this isn't right…you know it isn't…_

He could feel her breath, so close…so close…

His eyes snapped open and he stared at the ceiling. He panted in the silence.

No hands touched him, no breath tickled his skin. He was sprawled on his back in Cas' bed, the covers strangling his limbs.

_It was a dream._ He told himself, _just a dream._

He turned his head over and saw Cas, lying next to him, eyes closed in a peaceful sleep.

His hand was stretched out towards Dean. They had fallen asleep with Dean tracing small circles in his palm. He rolled over and took Cas' hand in his and watched as he slept.

That had to be the strangest dream Dean had ever had. Never has he dreamed of feeling guilty while being touched and loved by someone before.

His eyes raked over Cas' sleeping form. His tousled black hair, sticking to the pillow, not long and wavy like the 'Cas' in his dream. Their face structure was the same though, shaped by subtle cheekbones and a dimpled chin. Even their eyes had been the same shade of bright blue.

Dean remembered the sweet kisses and his eyes moved down to Cas' lips. He thought the kisses had felt familiar. The way dream Cas kissed him, was the same way the Cas laying in front of him kissed. Dean smiled as he thought of Cas' pink, beautiful lips all over him. Come to think of it, he would never feel guilty for Cas kissing him, so why did he feel like he should run screaming from her when she kissed him?

Dean's brow furrowed, _because it wasn't _the _Cas._ It wasn't _his_ broad shoulders that he held onto; _his_ strong thighs that straddled him.

This Cas, the one right in front of him, was the only Cas he could ever want. Sure, the female version of Cas was beautiful, gorgeous really, but Dean loved Cas just the way he was, short hair, stubble, and all.

Dean scooted closer to Cas and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer to his chest. He didn't wake, but he nudged his face into Dean's chest, snaking an arm around Dean's middle.

He rested his chin on the top of Cas' head, breathing in the smell of his shampoo.

Dean waited for the guilt he had felt in his dream, but it never came. He let out the breath he held.

_This. This is right_.

He closed his eyes and smiled; he couldn't wait to tell Cas about the dream. The look on his face would be priceless.


	15. Day Fifteen: Different Clothing Style

Day Fifteen: Different Clothing Styles

(Note: Sexual content)

"Cas!"

"What?"

"Cas?!"

"I heard you the first time, Dean, what are you yelling about?" Cas strolled into the bedroom to find Dean pacing in front of the bed.

He grabbed his hair and ruffled it, growling in frustration, "What the _hell_ am I going to wear to this…this…"

"Gala?"

"Yes, that…what does 'smart casual' even mean?" He made air quotes around smart casual and gave the clothes strewn across the bed and floor a dirty look.

Cas couldn't help but laugh. Dean had never been one to pay much attention to clothes, "I told you, you should've picked out your clothes weeks ago when we got the invitation."

"Yeah, well, I didn't, and now I'm up shit creek without a paddle."

Cas huffed and walked over to the bed. He rubbed Dean's back as he looked at the choices. Every pair of Dean's jeans was out on the bed, from the worn and torn to the dark wash, date night jeans. He had t-shirts, button downs, sweaters, and jackets. His shoes and ties were thrown on the floor in defeat.

"Do you have a white button down and black slacks?" Cas asked.

Dean nodded and pulled out the two wrinkled articles of clothing. He held them up for Cas, "They need to be ironed, but viola. Is that it?"

Cas pursed his lips and grinned, "Not even close."

~o0o~

Dean stood in front of the mirror, examining his outfit. They had been up past midnight trying on all sorts of smart casual outfit ideas. Everything Cas liked, Dean shot down, and vice versa.

This outfit pleased both of them and Dean had to admit, he looked good. They had settled on a dark wash jean. His white button down was crisp and wrinkle free. The final touches of the outfit were a black vest, tie, and a belt.

"Are you sure the vest doesn't have to be buttoned?" Dean called to Cas.

He heard the water shut off in the bathroom sink, "Dean…it's fine! Would you stop fussing? You're worse than a girl."

Cas walked out of the bathroom and Dean did a double take. Cas wore dark jeans too, but he had on a black button down and a loose, light grey skinny tie. His hair was artfully tousled and he was clean shaven. Dean swallowed hard. The shirt contoured his sculpted torso and Dean didn't care that they had to be there in two hours, he wanted to rip that shirt off and…

"Wow, Dean, you look…wow." Cas stared at Dean too. Neither of them wore dress clothes very often. Both of them could feel the tension from the other, trying to hold back their desires.

Dean smiled, "We, uh, we should get going or else we'll never make it there."

"Right, yeah, okay…let's go," He stuttered. Dean loved a flustered Cas.

~o0o~

Pendragon Communications was a popular and very successful technology corporation. They also had close ties with Gorlois Medical, a top corporation in medical supplies. It was a popular corporate 'relationship' because it was so unusual. Uther and Gorlois had been college roommates. They've been inseparable since, so when Gorlois asked for Uther's help in sponsoring a fundraiser for new technology in cancer research, Uther didn't hesitate.

Dean and Cas stood side by side, staring up at The Dorchester, "We are _so _out of place here," Dean whispered.

Cas took Dean's hand and led him forward, "Don't worry no one will see your face, remember? It's a masquerade."

Dean nudged Cas, "Are you calling me ugly?"

"No, of course not! I would never!" He said, dramatically placing a hand over his heart.

"You're such an ass," Dean said with a smile. He yanked Cas' arm and pulled him in for a kiss, "Let's make tonight memorable, it is our first gala after all."

Cas nodded, "Agreed."

~o0o~

Arthur and Merlin greeted them in one of the hallways. Dean sighed in relief when he saw Arthur had basically the same thing on, except his vest was buttoned up. Merlin wore black, straight leg dress pants, sweater and grey button down and jacket. All four of them looked out of place in their stylish outfits.

"Whoa, Dean Winchester in a tie and vest; never thought I'd see the day," Arthur teased. They stood there for a second, admiring the inside of the hotel and chuckling at some guests' idea of smart casual.

"We should go get the masks, your father will be speaking soon," Merlin said, pulling on Arthur's arm.

"Right, I can't believe I have to wear a mask."

"They're not like, glittery and girly, are they?" Dean asked. He really didn't feel like prancing around looking like he had a peacock on his face.

Arthur shook his head, "No, thank God. They're pretty simple. They're white with gold trimmings, but the area around the eyes is different; girls get white and boys get black." Arthur led them over to the table where the masks lay. Dean sighed, they were fairly normal and Dean was grateful.

After they each put on their masks, they headed into the grand ballroom. Dean heard Cas gasp next to him. The hall wasn't large, but it was the lighting and decorations that made it truly incredible. Mirrors and curtains alternated on the walls. Blue and purple lights were placed on the floor along the walls pointing up and the tables were covered in silky white table cloths. There were simple white flower centerpieces with blue and purple accents and everything sparkled. It reminded Dean of a starry night sky.

Arthur led them over to their table, "We'll be sitting here, oh and I may as well tell you now," He started, giving Merlin a glance. Merlin was giddy with excitement.

"Tell us what?" Cas asked.

"I was able to talk my father into letting us stay a night here…in one of the suites."

Cas squeezed Dean's hand and looked over at him. Dean could see his eyes were wide in excitement and his smile lit up the room.

"Are you serious? But we don't have anything with us…"

"Dean, it's a suite, it already has everything. It's got two bedrooms a sitting room and two bathrooms." Merlin said, taking a seat at the table.

So many thoughts ran through Dean's mind, some sweat and romantic, others extremely dirty. He had to duck his head to hide the heat that rose into his face. Him and Cas in an expensive, high class suite. Sleeping under the finest sheets and eating room service. He couldn't wait until they retired for the night. He placed a hand on Cas' thigh and trailed dangerously close to Cas' crotch. He felt Cas jump when his fingers accidently hit the bulge in his pants.

"Dean," he hissed. He grabbed Dean's hand and pushed it closer to his knee, "Later," he said out of the corner of his mouth. Dean smiled and squeezed Cas' knee, but didn't remove his hand.

Many speeches were given in the beginning. One by Uther, thanking everyone for coming and introducing Gorlois who gave a speech about how honored he was that Uther did this for him and his company and for the cancer research. Finally, the last speaker was up. It was a woman in a sleeveless black dress. The length of the dress stopped just above her knees. Her hair was swept to the side with intricate braids throughout it. It wasn't until she spoke that Dean recognized who it was.

"Is that Morgana?" He asked Arthur.

"She planned the activities, masks, and decorations for the gala."

Morgana spoke about the art auction they had in the other room. Some of the art was done by professionals, others by children from the hospital who had cancer. She also mentioned a ballroom dance contest, which Dean noticed Cas flinch and sink back into his chair.

He tapped his knee to get his attention. Cas looked at him and Dean mouthed if he was alright. Cas nodded and turned his attention back to Morgana.

When all the speakers were finished, waiters came out with trays of food. All four of them ate until they felt they would explode.

"Ugh, I don't think I can get up. Cas, carry me to the artwork?" He gave Cas a pleading look. Cas mimicked Dean and leaned back in his chair, a hand on his stomach.

"Only if you carry me to the room afterwards."

Dean gave him a sly smile, "No problem, but first we gotta dance."

"Yeah, um about that-"

"Hey, you two coming to see the auction?" Merlin asked, interrupting Cas. Dean nodded and took Cas' hand. Cas followed, looking a bit perturbed.

The artwork in the other room was actually really amazing and emotional. Many of the works displayed colorful, bright paintings, giving them a hopeful air. Others were dark and depressing, Dean tried not to look at them.

In the end Dean and Cas had actually bought a vibrant watercolor painting done by a nine year old girl who was currently fighting Leukemia. Her picture showed what she thought Heaven looked like. Cas liked this one a lot, he loved her depiction of the angels playing hide and seek with her. The description for the painting indicated that this girl believed she would be old by the time she actually got to see Heaven. Cas had to be excused for a moment after he was handed the painting.

By the time Cas returned people were on the dance floor, twirling across the glossy surface. Dean waited patiently at the table and watched as Arthur taught Merlin how to do a simple waltz. Merlin had two left feet when it came to dancing, but Arthur was extremely patient with him. Dean smiled at the way Arthur threw his head back in laughter as Merlin bumped into another couple and apologized profusely.

"Hey, ready to hit the dance floor?" Dean asked as Cas came up to the table. He could see Cas glance behind his mask at the group of people who gathered in the middle of the room.

He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided eye contact with Dean, "Um, well…not really."

"Oh," Dean was disappointed and Cas could tell. But Cas didn't know how to tell Dean that he didn't know how to dance without sounding stupid.

"I don't feel too good," He lied, "But if you want, you can dance with Arthur and Merlin?"

That was out of the question. Arthur and Merlin were lost in the crowd of dancers, and Dean didn't want to be a cock block.

Dean was about to suggest they go up to the room, when Morgana, swept over to their table, "Why aren't you two dancing?" She perched a hip on their table.

"Cas isn't feeling well. We were gunna head up-"

Morgana held up her hand, "Say no more, but Dean I have been watching you and you have been itching to get out on the floor." She held her hand out, "Come with me, mind if I steal your man for a dance or two?"

"Oh no, Morgana, I should really take Cas up to the room-"

"No, no it's okay, I'll wait here. You go ahead Dean," Cas interrupted, pulling out a chair.

Dean turned to him, "You sure?"

Cas smiled, "Yeah, it's fine."

Dean gave him a swift kiss on the cheek and followed Morgana out onto the floor. Five songs later, and Dean had still not returned. Cas felt ridiculous sitting alone so he got up and explored the hotel.

He ended up in 'The Penthouse', a room with arches, bouquets of flowers, statues, and a balcony with an incredible view of London. Cas leaned against the railing, watching the cars twinkle below and the Ferris Wheel spin slowly against the night sky.

He hadn't heard the door open or the footsteps come up behind him. When he felt hands on his hips he froze, his heart jumped to his throat.

"It should be illegal for you to wear these clothes. I can't get the image of you out of my mind"

Cas breathed a sigh of relief and turned around, "It should be illegal for you to sneak up on people, Dean."

Dean smiled and backed Cas up against the balcony, two hands on either side of him, trapping him there. Dean licked his lips, eyeing Cas' mouth. His hands trailed up Cas' arms until they were cupping his face. As their lips met, Cas wrapped his arms around Dean's waist.

Dean's kisses became urgent, wanting. Cas opened his mouth and moaned at the beautiful taste of Dean's mouth. There was the lingering taste of champagne and strawberries.

Dean's thigh brushed against his crotch, making his hips hitch. He felt Dean smile against his mouth as he pressed his hips to Cas'.

Cas whined when Dean pulled away, the loss of his lips too much to bear. He hugged Dean closer to his body.

"Want to check out the suite?" Dean asked.

Cas bit his bottom lip, he wasn't sure if he could make it back to the suite without attacking Dean in the elevator on the way up. He nodded and followed Dean, side by side, out of the dark room, their hands gripping each other's hips.

In the elevator Cas shoved Dean against the mirrored walls, thrusting his hands under his shirt and kissed him.

"Shit, Cas," Dean gasped, surprised by Cas' urgency to have his hands all over him. Cas groaned when the elevator dinged, announcing that they had arrived.

Before the doors opened, Cas' lips brushed against Dean's ear, "I've been wanting to rip these clothes off of you all night."

He trembled at Cas' words. He couldn't wait to get Cas into the room.

Dean fumbled with the room key. When he finally got it open he didn't even have time to admire the room before Cas had his mouth on Dean's. He grabbed Dean's tie and blindly found their way to the bed.

Cas pushed Dean onto the soft comforter and kneeled in front of him. He ripped off his shoes and ran his hands up Dean's thighs until he found his belt. Cas grabbed the top of Dean's pants and briefs and yank them down in one pull.

Cas stood up and undid his pants while Dean watched, eyes wide. Dean sat up and pulled on Cas' tie until he was laying on top of Dean. Cas tore off his mask, then Dean's. He wanted to see Dean's eyes as he thrust into him.

Cas rolled his hips against Dean, his cock rubbing against Dean's thigh. Dean's hips bucked up, "Cas, jesus," Dean closed his eyes and arched his back. Cas loved seeing Dean melt and tremble under his touch.

Cas slid down and took Dean into his mouth, giving him a few moments of bliss before rummaging through his pants for the small tube of lube he brought. When Dean saw what he had he laughed and scooted further back onto the bed.

"How did you know we were gunna need that?" He asked as he watched Cas pour some into his hands.

"Because I knew I wouldn't be able to go all night with you in those clothes. You should really consider wearing this style of clothing more often."

Dean went to sit up, "Oh no, you stay where you are." He crawled towards Dean until he was kneeling in front of him. Dean breathed heavily and he clutched at the sheets, anxious for Cas to touch him. Cas lifted Dean's legs onto his shoulders and with slick fingers, he worked them into Dean.

Dean's eyes squeezed shut and Cas admired the view in front as the button down shirt strained against Dean's chest. Half of the vest hung off his shoulder and the tie was askew.

As Cas worked two more fingers in, Dean opened his eyes and watched as Cas used more fingers to work him loose. Dean's stomach flared with heat when Cas bit his lip and blue eyes looked hungrily into green eyes. The muscles bulged under Cas' black button down as he pulled his fingers out of Dean and replaced them immediately with his cock.

Dean threw his head back as Cas thrust into him, again, and again. He stopped thrusting when he was fully in Dean. Cas grabbed Dean's cock and ran his slick fingers along the shaft.

Watching Dean's mouth open in a silent gasp sent him over the edge. Dean moaned Cas' name loudly as he came. Cas gave a few more thrusts until he emptied into Dean. He pulled out and slumped down onto the bed next to Dean.

He fiddled with Dean's tie, "Yes…you are definitely wearing this more often."

Dean chuckled and used Cas' tie to pull him closer. It was a long lazy kiss and Cas took this moment to run his hands through Dean's hair and trace his jawline.

"I agree, nothing sexier than you wearing a button down while you fuck me," Dean whispered against Cas' lips.

~o0o~

The morning light shone through the curtains, casting shadows across the two boys lying in the bed.

Dean and Cas were tangled in sheets as they lay naked with each other. Dean woke up first, wincing when he tried to stretch. It was a beautiful feeling and it was even better that it was Cas who made him feel this way.

Cas stirred next to him and lazily opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw Dean was looking at him, "Mornin'," he mumbled.

Dean leaned in and kissed him on the forehead, "Good morning, sleep well?"

"Yes, very, but I'm starving."

Dean rolled out of bed and pulled on his briefs and jeans, "I'll order some room service, we'll have breakfast in bed." He winked at Cas and called for breakfast.

The suite was quiet and Dean assumed Merlin and Arthur were still in their room. The Park Suite was a long room with two bedrooms on either side of the suite, so hopefully Merlin and Arthur didn't hear anything last night.

Once the room service arrived, Dean brought it back to the room. Cas was sitting up in bed, the sheet covering him from the hips down. Dean crawled in next to him and they shared pancakes, bacon, orange juice, and a plate of strawberries.

They met Merlin and Arthur at the door when they went to leave; all four boys wore smiles. Their once perfectly pressed clothing disheveled and they all had terrible sex hair.

It was definitely a night Dean wouldn't forget.


	16. Day Sixteen: Morning Routines

Day Sixteen: Morning Routines

Merlin nearly jumped out of his skin when the alarm clock went off. He threw his arm out and flicked the switch. The shrill of the alarm stopped and all Merlin could hear was Arthur's deep breathing next to him. Merlin never understood how Arthur could sleep through that alarm.

He shook Arthur's shoulder, "Arthur, come on, time to get up." Arthur didn't even flinch, "Great lump," Merlin mumbled. He swung his feet off the bed, pulled on a pair of Arthur's sweat pants, and walked out to the kitchen.

He prepared coffee for Arthur and tea for himself. On rare occasions, Arthur would have smelled the coffee brewing and he would race out to the kitchen to get a hot, fresh cup. Other times, Merlin would be kind enough to bring him the coffee, because his reward was always very satisfying.

Neither one of those events would be happening today…Arthur was still snoring away and Merlin couldn't leave the apartment until Arthur woke up, or else he'd miss brunch with his father.

He strolled back into the bedroom and found Arthur sprawled out on the bed, taking up his and Merlin's side. His blonde hair was a shaggy mess and his mouth hung open slightly. Merlin admired the lovely view for a few minutes. Arthur was perfect, even when he slept.

Arthur issued a particularly loud snore and Merlin chuckled. Deciding Arthur had plenty of 'beauty' rest; Merlin walked up to the bed and grabbed two fistfuls of the sheet wrapped around Arthur. With a quick tug, he yanked the sheet off of Arthur, "Rise and shine sleeping beauty!"

Arthur groaned and curled in on himself, "No."

Merlin placed his hands on the bed and leaned in towards Arthur, "You have one hour to be up and out this door, or your father will disown you."

"Let'm."

Merlin sighed, "Arthur, get your lazy ass up!" Arthur didn't budge.

Every morning. Every. Single. Morning.

"Fine, if you want to do it this way…" Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's middle and pulled him to the edge of the bed.

"Merlin!" He tried grabbing onto the mattress to escape Merlin's grasp.

"How many times have I told you; if you don't get your lazy ass out of bed, then I will!" He gave one last tug and Arthur was finally out of bed, but at Merlin's expense. He had toppled over and him and Arthur lay in a heap on the floor. Merlin let out a bark of laughter.

"What's so funny, _Mer_lin?" Arthur grabbed Merlin's ankle and pulled him closer. He dug his fingers into Merlin's sides and thighs until he was gasping for breath.

"Arthur! Please-stop-no!" He yelled through bouts of laughter.

"I'm sorry? I didn't hear you, Merlin, you'll have to speak more clearly," He pulled Merlin on his lap and continued to tickle every inch of Merlin he could reach. Merlin was in tears now, and couldn't even muster a breath let alone a single word.

Arthur decided Merlin had enough torture and he leaned in to kiss him. It was an open mouth, smiling kiss, one where Merlin was still laughing. His cheeks were wet with tears and they were a bright, rosy red.

When Merlin was sure Arthur wasn't going to continue his tickling, he relaxed in his Arthur's arms and took a deep breath, "You're going to be late for brunch, Arthur."

Arthur tapped Merlin's nose, "I know, but it's much more fun to see you squirm under my touch."

Merlin knew where this was going, and if he didn't move now, neither of them would make it out of the bedroom let alone the apartment. He pushed himself out of Arthur's arms and held his hand for Arthur to take.

"Once you've gone to brunch and had a wonderful day with your family, then you can watch me squirm all you want," he said to Arthur, who looked pleased with the deal.

The rest of their morning was routine. They drank their hot beverages, had their toast, fought over who got the sink, elbowed each other as they brushed their teeth, and whipped each other with towels until they were both dressed and ready to walk out the door.

Once outside, they turned to each other, "See you later," Arthur said, taking Merlin's hands.

"See you later," Merlin replied. He gave Arthur a sweet kiss and turned to walk one way, while Arthur turned the opposite direction.

"I love you!" He yelled over his shoulder.

"Love you too!" Merlin yelled back.

They both walked to their destinations, smiling and excited for what the evening would bring.

~o0o~

Cas blinked back the sleep as he squinted in the dimly lit room. He could make out the dark form of a sleeping Dean next to him.

Cas rolled onto his side and gathered the blankets around him. He watched Dean as he slept, his back rising and falling with every breath. Dean loved sleeping on his stomach, his arms wrapped around his pillow. His mouth was slightly open and a trickle of drool glistened on his lips.

Cas smiled and bit back his amusement. He didn't want to wake Dean up, not yet anyway. He liked watching Dean sleep, especially when he was dreaming. He always wondered what Dean dreamt about, but he was too nervous to ask. Was dreaming a personal thing? Was it something you kept to yourself?

Besides, Cas didn't want to know, he liked to use his imagination. Whenever Dean mumbled in his sleep, Cas imagined that Dean was dreaming about driving in his Impala back home, blasting his favorite classic rock cassette, and singing along.

Or if Dean's body twitched, like his fingers or legs, he imagined Dean was dreaming about playing backyard football with Sam.

When the corner of Dean's mouth twitched into a smile, he imagined Dean was dreaming about him, about Cas. The reason for his smile would be because Cas didn't understand a reference or because Cas had just kissed him.

Cas sighed, he doubted Dean dreamed of him. Why dream of someone you see every day? It took a moment for Cas to realize that Dean's eyes were opened and he was staring at Cas.

Dean smiled, "Do you always watch me sleep?"

Cas blushed, "Not _all_ the time."

Dean rolled back and offered his arm out to Cas. Cas curled into Dean's chest and nudged his face into his shirt. Dean kissed the top of Cas' head and trailed his fingers up and down Cas' spine. He shivered at Dean's touch and scooted closer for warmth. Their legs intertwined with each other and they lay their quietly, enjoying the warmth and touch.

It wasn't abnormal that they cuddle before actually getting out of bed. It was something they did every morning, almost like their way of saying 'I love you' without words.

They got up before they both fell asleep again. Cas had to go to the restaurant where he worked and Dean didn't want to be late for his first day at a garage down the street. After they made Harley part of their little family, they both went and searched for jobs.

The first day on the hunt, Cas got a serving job at a restaurant. They must've been desperate, because Cas had no idea what he was doing, but he got the hang of it pretty quickly.

Dean made breakfast like always; today it was ham and cheese omelets. Cas poured them orange juice, almost spilling because Harley danced around their feet, crying for food.

Once everyone was fed, they got showers and brushed their teeth. Cas put on his jeans and black restaurant t-shirt, while Dean pulled on his tattered jeans and dark gray t-shirt.

Their destinations were the same way, so when they arrived at the garage first, Cas turned to Dean and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Good luck on your first day."

Dean smiled and pulled Cas in for a proper, goodbye kiss. When he pulled away, Cas was blushing and looking flustered, "Thank you, don't spill any trays."

"Hey, that was only once, and it was my first day!" Cas gave Dean's shoulder a light slap and started walking backwards down the street, "See ya later…alligator," Cas chuckled. He had heard a little kid say it the other day and thought it was a weird way of saying goodbye. So now whenever he said goodbye to Dean, he said it. At first, Dean thought it was cheesy, but he learned to love it, because Cas loved it.

Dean smirked and blushed, "After a while, crocodile."


	17. Day Seventeen: Spooning

Day Seventeen: Spooning

It was the third time Dean checked the clock, hoping the numbers were wrong. Cas was late. _Really_ late.

_Maybe it was a busy night at the restaurant? It's a Thursday, the restaurant is never busy on a Thursday._

Dean was about to dial Cas' number when he heard the door open and slam shut.

"Thank God, where have you been? I thought something-Cas what's wrong?" Dean jumped off the couch and ran to Cas' side.

Cas had thrown his tip money, pen, and notepad on the counter. He didn't look at Dean, but stared at the coffee maker like it was the most magnificent thing in the room.

"Cas?" Dean laid a hand on Cas' shoulder, but he shrugged it off. 'Cas, come on, what's wrong? Did you not make a lot tonight?" Dean tried joking, that just made Cas more angry.

He pushed past Dean and went into his room. Dean stared after him. What the hell was wrong? Had Dean done something? He tried to think about what he may have said or done that day that would've upset Cas, but nothing came to mind. It was a normal day for them, and the last time he saw Cas, he was smiling and using his signature goodbye.

Cas came out of the room in his boxers and without even a glance at Dean, he went into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

For once in his life, Dean wasn't sure what to do. He had never seen Cas this upset before. He hadn't even said 'hello' or assured Dean that he was fine or explain why he was late. It worried Dean, what could've happened between this morning and before he walked through the door tonight?

Dean didn't want to push it until Cas was ready to talk. So he reluctantly sat back on the couch and continued his mindless channel surfing.

He heard the shower shut off and Cas get out. He heard the sounds of Cas brushing his teeth and using mouth wash. The door unlocked and Dean waited for Cas to sit with him on the couch, but he never came.

He turned and saw the room was empty, the bathroom light was shut off, and the bedroom door was half closed.

_What the hell?_

Dean shut off the TV and went into the room. Cas was lying in bed on top of the sheets, facing away from Dean. He heard him sniffle and saw his hand come up to wipe at his face.

_Was he crying?_

"Cas?"

"Go away."

Dean cringed at the harshness in Cas' voice. What had he done? "Cas, talk to me…what happ-did I do something wrong?" He asked from the doorway, afraid to walk any closer.

Cas mumbled.

"What?" Dean chanced a step or two forward.

"Nothing, Dean. N-nothing happened," he said, his voice cracking.

This wasn't like Cas, not at all. Dean crawled across the bed to Cas and tried putting a hand on his shoulder again. Cas shrugged it away.

"You gotta speak to me, Cas. Why are you upset?" Dean sat cross legged on the bed, waiting for Cas to respond.

Finally, Cas rolled onto his back, but still didn't look at Dean. His eyes were red and puffy from crying and his bottom lip trembled.

"Oh…Cas," Dean brushed Cas' fringe off his forehead.

"They lied to me," he whispered.

Dean furrowed his brow, "Who?"

"People at the restaurant. They said they would be at the bar down the street at ten, I waited, but they didn't show up." Cas played with the string on his sweatpants. "As I was walking home, I saw them. They were in a completely different bar."

"Maybe you got the bar name wrong?"

Cas shook his head, "No, Dean, I didn't. I know what bar they told me. They lied to me so I wouldn't hang out with them."

"But, why would they lie if they invited you?"

"They didn't exactly invite me; I kind of expressed interest in joining them. As we were rolling silverware, I overheard them talking about getting together and I asked them what bar they were going to. I wasn't expecting to be invited, I just wanted to know." Cas wiped away a few tears, "They told me the bar and then asked if I wanted to come. I was happy that they were including me; it made me feel like I was part of their little restaurant family…finally.

"At first I thought they didn't like me because they made fun of me if I mixed up orders or whatever, but I thought it was playful teasing. I didn't think they actually hated me."

Dean took Cas' hand, "You don't know that. Maybe they changed their mind-"

"Then why couldn't they tell me they changed where they wanted to go? Let's face it Dean, I'm never going to make friends on my own. I don't understand human life yet, I make everyone feel awkward, I say stupid things that just get me weird looks…I should just mind my own business, I don't even know why _you_ talk to me."

Cas rolled back over on his side, away from Dean. He was hurt, crushed, that Cas would say something like that. He loved Cas, everything about him. He loved that he didn't always understand his references, he loved that Cas was still learning, and he loved how hard Cas tried to fit in.

He lay out behind Cas, wrapped an arm around him and tried to calm him. His shoulders were shaking from his sobs and it ripped at Dean's heart. Cas was good, kind, loving, and meant no harm to anyone. How could you be so rude to someone who was just trying to fit in?

He had never seen Cas cry like this before. These emotions Cas was feeling probably scared him. He was an angel who was becoming human more and more each day, and this was happening to him because he loved Dean, because he wanted to be with him.

Dean pressed his chest against Cas' back and entwined their legs. He nuzzled his face in Cas damp hair and whispered, "I talk to you, because I love you, because you're more than awkward and different. You put a smile on my face when I'm having a bad day. You made me realize what love really is, and I'll tell you right now, those guys are wrong. They don't realize that they just lied to an incredible person…who happens to have a very protective boyfriend who hates seeing you upset."

Cas chuckled through his tears. He reached for Dean's hand and threaded their fingers. Dean hugged him tight and kissed his shoulder and neck. "I love you, Cas and I'm sorry those people were rude to you. You didn't deserve to be lied to. You still got me and Sam and Merlin and Arthur, and everyone from University."

Cas nodded against the pillow, "I know, I just want to make friends on my own too, I mean, that's part of being human right? Being able to make friends?"

Dean rested his head on Cas', "Yeah, it's one of many things you have to be able to do as a human. It may take time and a few tries, but don't let it get you down, okay?"

"Okay…Dean?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you, too."

Dean smiled and kissed Cas' head. They fell asleep with Cas snuggled safely in Dean's arms, legs tangled, and holding each other's hands.


	18. Day Eighteen: Doing Something Together

Day Eighteen: Doing Something Together:

"Put. It. In. The. Hole. Arthur!"

"It won't go in, _Mer_lin. It's stuck."

"Jesus, straighten it out!"

"I did!"

"Well, then you're doing something wrong. This isn't rocket science."

"Wait, I see the problem. It's…stuck on-"

"Ow!"

"-There…oops, sorry Merlin, are you alright?"

Merlin had a hand over his eye, the fabric of the tent in the other. "Do I look alright? You just stabbed me in the eye with the tent pole."

Arthur stepped over the tent and took Merlin's hand off his face. "Let me see, Merlin let go, oh…"

"'Oh', what? Is it bad?"

"N-no just a scratch." Arthur gave Merlin a half-hearted smile and rubbed the back of his neck, "With some blood. Guess I don't know my own strength, huh?" Arthur said, sheepishly.

"Obviously, you ripped the tent." Merlin swept an arm over the tent.

Arthur looked down and saw where the pole had ripped through the loop. "Don't worry, we can fix it. Just some tape and-"

"No, Arthur, we can't _fix _it. You ripped the loop, _off_ the tent. There is literally a hole in the tent and it won't stand up properly now." Merlin threw his hands up and plopped down on a log. With a groan, he buried his face in his hands.

Merlin had been planning this camping trip for a while now, and he wanted everything to be perfect. He planned activities, bought the new tent, and read up on camping in the wilderness. Now Merlin was frustrated and angry with him. Not only did Arthur rip the tent and injure Merlin, but he had also forgotten the extra blankets and bug spray.

"Well…we'll figure something out. It's still early, we have all day and there're other things we have planned." He crouched in front of Merlin, "So, let's forget about the tent for now, forget everything else, and let's go have some fun, yeah?"

Merlin grinned, "Yeah, okay."

"Alright…okay, so what other activities did you plan?"

"There are a couple local caves that everyone talks about; I thought we could explore them. Then there's canoeing on the river, and a campfire of course…"

Arthur stood up and held a hand out for Merlin. "Caves it is then. What do we need?"

Merlin's smile widened and his chest puffed out a little, "Uh, our backpacks, water, and flashlights."

They gathered their gear and Arthur followed Merlin as he read a map and compass.

"You sure you know how to use that?" Arthur asked, nudging him.

"Positive. Why? Do you doubt my navigation skills?"

Arthur smirked, "Not at all. Lead the way."

They walked up hills, down hills, through bushes and tall grass, they even climbed a wall of rocks. When they finally arrived at the caves, Merlin and Arthur were covered in dirt, scratches, and sweat. They sat outside the caves and rested.

"Arthur, slow down, we still have to walk back you know," Merlin said, scolding Arthur for gulping down his water.

Arthur swallowed his mouthful of water, ignoring Merlin, "So what's in these caves? Anything exciting?"

"It's called The Crystal Cave…I guess thousands of years ago these caves used to be filled with, well, crystals."

"Crystals? Hm, maybe we'll find some?" Arthur wiggled his eyebrows.

Merlin smiled, "Sorry, but legend says people removed the Crystals from the caves because they believed the crystals contained powerful magic and they should be hidden from the world. They feared the crystals would be used for evil. No one knows where the crystals are kept." Merlin stared at the entrance of the cave, mesmerized by the darkness within. His brows furrowed and he looked troubled.

"Merlin?"

"Does…does something seem familiar to you? Like we've been here before?"

Arthur looked around, "But…we haven't been here before, like, ever."

"Right…just déjà vu I guess," Merlin said. He slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Let's go!"

Arthur followed Merlin into the cave, eager to see what was inside. The cave was extremely dark and smelled of moss and mildew. The coolness of the cave sent chills over Arthur's skin. Merlin dug around in his backpack for his flashlight. It flickered on and Arthur could make out a small passage stretching ahead of him.

"How far back does this go?"

Merlin shrugged, "No idea, why, you scared?"

"Ha. Ha, very funny. So where did the crystals use to be? Is there any kind of map of the cave?"

"All I know is it's within the heart of the cave."

Merlin continued further, flicking his flashlight here and there to examine the walls wet with water. They twisted and turned down endless tunnels. Both of them were silent for the most part. There was something about the cave that made it feel like a sanctuary. Only whispered words were allowed. Maybe it was the chill of the dark that kept them quiet. It wasn't until Arthur ran into Merlin, who stood stock still in the entrance to a larger room of the cave that Arthur finally spoke.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" he whispered.

"I-I don't…we should turn back."

"What? Why?"

Merlin turned and ran into Arthur's chest. Arthur stopped him from getting past, "Where are you going?"

"We shouldn't be here. Something's not right," he said, trying to push past Arthur.

"Oh no, you don't. We came all this way to explore the caves, and that's what we're going to do."

"But-"

"No, Merlin, turn around and go into the big, dark, scary room." Arthur grabbed Merlin's shoulders and spun him in the direction of the room. Merlin reluctantly went inside, Arthur close behind him, holding his waist. They took small steps as they tried to avoid touching the walls, or stepping in the wrong place.

When they entered the room, Merlin swept the beam of the flashlight over the walls.

"What…" Arthur breathed.

On the walls before them were thousands of cave drawings of ancient symbols. They were made up of swirls, geometric shapes, and squiggles…none of which Arthur could make out or put names to their meanings. On one side of the cave, there was a pile of rocks, as if it had crumbled over the years, covering up another entrance. On the opposite side of the cave, there looks to have been a giant hole at one point that was filled in by eroding dirt.

"Merlin…this place. It's…wow."

Merlin shivered where he stood. No doubt the cave was beautiful and unique, but there was something about it; like it held secrets. He couldn't believe Arthur couldn't feel it. It was a vibration that quaked under his skin. The hairs on his body stood up, and his pulse raced. He walked into the room and went over to the first wall with symbols on it. He ran a hand over the smooth stone.

Arthur watched him as he ran nimble fingers over the rock, "What do you think they mean?" Arthur asked.

Merlin shook his head, "No idea, but whatever it is, it's powerful."

"Powerful?"

"Yeah…you don't feel it?"

Arthur's tilted his head to the side, "Feel what?"

Merlin sighed. Arthur didn't feel it, but why could he? Merlin shook his head, "I don't know. It's like, an electric current, or well, like when you touch me and it sends shivers down my spine and heat radiates and…what?"

Arthur was staring at Merlin, "Are you telling me a cave is turning you on?"

"No! No…I just, really Arthur? I'm trying to explain that this place isn't your average cave and you assume I'm horny?"

Arthur considered for a moment, smiling. "Yes."

"Prat."

Arthur laughed and turned to investigate the rest of the cave. "So, this feeling you're having. It's a good one?"

"Not necessarily, more of a 'beware, powerful stuff ahead'."

Arthur nodded, though he doubted Merlin saw. The gleam of Merlin's flashlight casted shadows over the rocks Arthur was attempting to climb, when he saw something flash out of the corner of his eye.

He reached his hand in-between the two rocks and pulled out a large, weathered coin. It was rough around the edges and had an 'x' in the middle. A small bird was carved over top of the cross. If there had been any wording on it, it was gone by now. He wanted to shout to Merlin to show him, but something held him back, something telling him that this should be kept secret until the right moment. So he quickly stowed the coin in his bag and jumped down from the rocks.

"It's like…" Merlin began.

"What?"

Merlin looked embarrassed, "It's like there's magic in here."

"Or maybe there are fumes in here and your inhaling a copious amount."

Merlin laughed, "Maybe."

Arthur jerked his head towards the cave entrance, "Come on. Let's get going. It'll be dark soon." They've explored the cave as much as they could, and besides the coin and cave drawings, there was really nothing special about the cave.

Once they were back outside, breathing in the open, warm air, Arthur took another swig of his water bottle. As he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, a butterfly landed on the bottle. He jumped a little when he opened his eyes, not expecting to see a butterfly on the other side.

He lowered the bottle, but it didn't move.

"Merlin," he whispered. "Look, I made a friend."

Merlin turned around and chuckled at the scene, "No, we can't take him home, sorry. It is beautiful though."

The butterfly was a muted blue, like the sky on a warm spring day, kind of like Arthur's eyes. Though, it shone with magnificence, as if it had been polished.

It flapped its wings and then fluttered off the bottle, hovering in front of Merlin's face for a moment and tickling his nose, before ascending to the tree tops.

Merlin looked back at Arthur and smiled. Arthur took his hand in his and their fingers laced as they headed back down the path to their campsite.

~o0o~

Arthur stood by the river, waiting for Merlin to finish packing up the canoe. His back and shoulders were stiff from lying on the forest floor in the tent and his neck had a crick in it from sleeping in an awkward position in order to fit in their makeshift tent.

They had used shoelaces to tie the corners of the tent to branches above the campsite. The tent now stood crooked, the front leaned to the right, while the back leaned to the left, making the tent look twisted.

The day had not started out well. Besides their aching bodies, Arthur had burnt the coffee. Merlin was a blithering mess without his coffee.

Arthur made a mental note to make sure the rest of the day went accordingly. He wasn't sure how many more mistakes Merlin could handle. Arthur was at the end of Merlin's annoyance rope, and he really didn't feel like hanging himself with it.

"Alright, everything is tied down and ready to go," Merlin said, standing up. His back cracked and he groaned, "You owe me a back rub later." He pointed at Arthur and rubbed his back.

Arthur grinned, "Anything for you." Arthur watched as Merlin put on his red bandana, "I still don't see the point in wearing that thing." Arthur flicked it with his finger.

"It has many uses, _Arthur_. I can use it to wipe away sweat and-uh…" Merlin gazed down at it, "Well other things." He shrugged and smiled his goofy smile. Arthur just shook his head and crossed his arms.

Merlin stepped cautiously into the canoe and gently sat on the seat. He looked up at Arthur and smiled, "Ready?"

"Of course." Arthur followed Merlin's steps, but sat on the other side of the canoe and faced away from Merlin.

They pushed off the shore and started rowing. They were quiet to begin as they took in the beauty of the river; the soft trickle of streams, the chirping of birds.

Arthur heard crinkling paper and he turned to see Merlin looking at a map.

"Where to captain?"

Merlin hummed in thought, "Straight, then there's a fork in the river."

"Which do we take?"

"I'm not sure, one's very twisty turny, but the other is straight."

"I say we take the curvy one, it'll be more entertaining."

Merlin was silent for a minute, and then he spoke, "I don't know. On the forest camping guide the route highlighted isn't curvy. We should probably take the straighter path."

Arthur scoffed, "Oh, come on Merlin, what could possibly be down that way?" Arthur turned to look at Merlin. He was studying the map, trailing his finger along the blue lines.

"Well…I guess. I mean it doesn't end far from where we originally wanted to get out."

"Then twisty turny it is!"

Arthur faced the front again and began paddling. It wasn't long until they reached the fork in the river. Arthur was glad he suggested taking the curvy route. It looked a lot more interesting. The woods in that direction were thicker and darker, giving off a mysterious vibe.

They were both silent again, holding their breath as they rounded the first bend that marked the beginning of the new stretch of river.

"Well, that was anti-climactic," Merlin said, letting out his breath. Arthur chuckled as he let his breath out too.

"We're gunna have to really work together to turn the boat, the current is stronger here. You're the controller of direction Merlin, so pay attention because I really don't want to end up in the rocks."

"Yes, sir," Merlin responded.

The turns were difficult to maneuver at first, but they finally got the hang out it. It was a good thing too, because the current was becoming faster and choppier.

"Um, Arthur, these aren't the beginning of rapids, or oh I don't know, a waterfall?"

Arthur barked out a laugh, "Merlin, seriously? I think they would've mentioned if there were rapids or a waterfall so people would know. It's probably just a rocky section." Arthur sounded sure of himself, but deep down he had to wonder if Merlin was right.

That question was answered minutes later, when they turned the next corner and came face to face with white, foaming waves splashing down on large grey boulders.

"Shit. Shit, fucking, shit, Arthur."

Arthur tried sticking his oar into the river bed to wedge it into rocks, but it never met solid ground, and it was almost ripped out of his hands. "I know! Damn it. Merlin, use your oar, try and turn the boat!" They were fairly close to the right bank. If they could just turn the boat and get closer, maybe they could grab a branch and pull themselves to shore.

Merlin stuck his oar into the water and rowed with all his strength. The boat started to turn and Arthur helped Merlin to get it closer to the bank, "Go, Merlin, come one almost there…no…no no no!"

The boat hit a rock and spun around. They were flying down the river backwards, straight for the rapids.

"Arthur! Oh my God we're gunna die!" Merlin tried sticking his oar in the water too. He almost had a rock, but the boat dipped down suddenly and popped back up. Merlin's oar was ripped from his hands and he was thrown back into the boat. He landed at Arthur's feet. Arthur hooked his hands under Merlin's arm and lifted him up, "You okay?" He yelled over the roar of the river.

Before Merlin could speak, they were sprayed with a blast of water. As they wiped their eyes, they hit another rock which caused the back of the boat to fly into the air. They grabbed onto the sides of the boat, hoping it wouldn't flip over.

Arthur's heart was pounding in his throat and his eyes widened in terror. He had never been white water rafting; he had no idea what to do. Merlin was now clutching at his seat, his eyes squeezed shut.

Arthur had done it again. He ruined a perfect moment for Merlin, one that could get them killed.

The boat jerked to the left, throwing Arthur to the side. Merlin yelped, "Arthur!" More water sprayed down on them from the sides. Arthur grabbed his seat, and both he and Merlin sat in the bottom of their boat, scared for their lives.

Merlin peeked over the end of the boat and his mouth fell open in horror. He pointed behind Arthur and tried to yell, but nothing came out. Arthur whipped around and his whole body froze. Before him were a series of smaller waterfalls, small enough for white water rafting, but large enough to crush their boat.

"Shit, okay, shit, Merlin!" Merlin scrambled over to Arthur. He got tossed to the side as the boat hit another wave. Merlin clutched at Arthur's seat. Arthur huddled over him, wrapping his arms around Merlin and the seat. "It's okay!" He yelled, "We'll be fine! It's okay, I promise!" He kissed the top of Merlin's head and clutched him tight as they plunged over the first waterfall.

The boat pivoted as it went over, but it stayed upright. Their screams were shut out by a splash of water. Their clothes were now soaked through and they were shaking with fear.

"How many more?" Merlin yelled.

Arthur lifted his head to survey the river, "Two!" He decided not to tell Merlin that the last two were larger and more fierce than the first one.

Arthur wondered if he could make it less out of their control if he tried rowing. He was about to reach for his oar when the boat lurched forward, forcing him to clutch to Merlin's waist. Their stomachs dropped and Arthur felt he would be sick. He got a glimpse of white foam before the front of the boat plunged into the water.

"No!" The boat would go under if they didn't put weight to the back of the boat. Arthur flung himself and grabbed the other seat. His weight helped to bring the boat down. The end of the boat that was submerged in the water popped back up, bringing buckets of water into their boat.

"Arthur, we're gunna sink with all this water!" Images of their broken and bruised bodies floating down the river popped into Arthur's mind. He shook the image away and thought quickly. The next waterfall was approaching fast, and he would not end up on the news as a stupid pillock who went down the rapids with no experience.

He grabbed his oar and stuck it into the river. He rowed so the boat would take a smoother course down the river. Merlin scrambled over and helped Arthur push and pull the oar. They avoided boulders and larger waves. Their boat entered a small passage between two larger boulders and it shot them down the river. The last waterfall approached with terrifying speed. The roar of the water was deafening and his body ached with the effort and the boat creaked as it hit waves. Merlin growled with his efforts, but Arthur could see he was struggling, just like he was, to keep the boat from hitting boulders and cascading over waves.

He decided that they did their best to avoid the worse of the river before the waterfall. Their safety was more important now.

"Merlin, we gotta brace ourselves! I don't know if this boat will hold!" Merlin whipped around to face Arthur, the terror in his eyes made Arthur's heart constrict. His bottom lip quivered and his face scrunched up as he fought to hold back tears.

Merlin latched onto the seat again, burying his face in the crook of his arm. Arthur wrapped one arm around the seat and another around Merlin. He used his legs to push against the side of the boat. If the boat didn't break, he wanted to brace himself in case they were thrown out of the boat. Merlin did the same, his legs tangled with Arthur's. He hoped this wouldn't be the last time their legs got tangled up together.

The boat jerked side to side, Arthur's body throbbing with the effort to protect himself and Merlin. The boat dipped twice over small waves and finally, all Arthur could see was the drop. He tensed, waiting for the fall…waiting for their fate to be determined by the river.

"Arthur, I lov-" Merlin's shout was lost in the roar of the waterfall as their boat tipped forward. Their shouts mixed with the roaring of the waves and the splashing of the river as their boat crashed over the waterfall.

They hovered in mid-air before landing with a smack into the water. There was a loud crack as their boat hit a boulder, splitting in half. Arthur was thrown off Merlin into the raging river. He was tossed and tumbled under the water and against rocks. He covered his head with his arms and tried to find footing. His foot caught between two rocks and he used it to stop himself from being swept away by the rage of the river. He grabbed onto the boulder and pulled himself on top of it. He pushed his wet hair out of his eyes and rapidly looked around. It seems like the river was finally calming down at this point, but that doesn't mean Merlin was okay. He could've hit his head, he could be unconscious and Arthur wouldn't be able to find him.

"Merlin!" He bellowed, his voice raspy from all the yelling. There was no answer.

Arthur panicked. He saw half of the boat floating away down the river, but it wasn't the half where he and Merlin sat. He couldn't see any sign of the other half of boat from where he sat. Nor could he see any signs of dark hair that stuck up at odd angles in the morning. No sign of the eyes that lit up when he laughed. No sign of arms that held him at night, or legs that wrapped around his waist. There was no sign of his Merlin.

"Mer-lin!" His voice cracked and tears poured down his face. He couldn't lose Merlin. He couldn't lose him, not yet, it was too soon. He had so many things he wanted to tell Merlin. So many things he wanted to do with him.

He jumped off the rock and fought against the current to get to the river bank. That's when he saw it. The other half of the boat, crushed against a large boulder, pieces of it floating away from the wreckage. He whipped his head left and right, looking for Merlin. He didn't see him in the woods behind the boulder, nor did he see him amongst the debris.

He traipsed his way over the rocks until he reached the wreck. All that remained was bits and pieces of the boat. Their supplies that were tied to this end were gone. And there was no Merlin. Something red caught Arthur's eye and he reached down and pulled it from the wreck. It was Merlin's silly bandana that he insisted in wearing around his neck. His vision blurred as tears pooled in his eyes. He clutched the scarf and screamed for Merlin.

Over and over he screamed his name, pain ripping through his heart, forcing the screams from his lungs. He was doubled over in his efforts. Sobs wracked his body and his legs gave out from under him. He sank to his knees and tried to breathe normally. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He needed Merlin.

"Arthur?" Arthur's head snapped up, searching for the source of his name. Nothing. He was already going crazy.

But it came again, "Arthur?!" Arthur stood up and answered.

"Merlin?!" Arthur heard rocks tumbling and someone hiss in pain. Merlin appeared from behind a boulder further down the bed of rocks. Arthur's heart leapt with joy when he saw him. He was alive.

Arthur bounded over to Merlin and pulled him into a vice like hug. Merlin's arms snaked around Arthur's and clutched at his t-shirt. They didn't speak. Silent tears fell down Arthur's face, as sobs wracked Merlin's body.

"You're alright, Merlin, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." Arthur rubbed Merlin's back, comforting him. His shoulders stilled and he lifted his head off Arthur's chest. He put his hands on Arthur's chest and pushed him away.

"We were almost killed, Arthur. All because you wanted to take a 'more interesting' route!" He shoved at Arthur's chest, who stumbled back, alarmed by Merlin's sudden anger. "We could've died!" His face was twisted with anger and pain.

Arthur could've argued. He could've said that it wasn't his fault Merlin agreed, or his fault that the camp guide failed to mention that there were rapids down that route. But he didn't say anything. He kept his mouth shut.

Merlin pushed at Arthur again, "Why don't you say something, huh? Arthur! Say something…please…" Merlin's eyes were wild with fear and tears poured fresh down his face. Frustrated that Arthur wasn't saying anything, Merlin hit him again in the chest and tried turning to walk away. Accept he didn't get very far. He stumbled over onto the rocks and yelped in pain.

Arthur went over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I fell down a waterfall, you arse!" Merlin shrugged off Arthur's hand. "Just, leave me alone, you've done enough damage today."

Arthur sat back on his heels and swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.

"You know," Merlin started, "All I wanted was a stress free, fun weekend with you. No one else, just you and me and nature. I wanted to cuddle with you in a sturdy tent, take stupid, silly pictures with you on a hike, have a picnic by the river, and now….now it's all ruined." Merlin stood up and hopped on one foot until he was comfortable standing.

"So, you're blaming me for everything that happened?" Arthur said, a little more loudly than he intended. "I'm the reason you're not having a good time? If I'm that much of a downer and killjoy, than why did you even ask me to come? Are there any other times we've been together on dates or whatever where you weren't having a good time because I 'ruined it all'?"

"No, that's not-"

"What? That's not what you meant? I'm not ruining everything in your life?" Arthur was furious. How could Merlin think that?

"No, Arthur," Merlin started. He limped over to Arthur, "You don't ruin everything. I'm just-I wanted this to be perfect. I had higher expectations and this image of total perfection and, well, nothing ever goes as planned and I'm sorry I got mad. It was stupid of me, irrational, and Arthur…the last thought on my mind, was that I may never get to kiss you and hold you again. I love you Arthur, and you know, I don't car that the tent is ripped, I don't care that we never got to have our riverside picnic."

With effort, Merlin hobbled over to Arthur and flung himself into Arthur's arms, "I don't care that this trip wasn't perfect. I almost lost you." He mumbled into Arthur's shirt. Arthur hugged Merlin.

So many emotions had run through Arthur's system within that last hour, that he couldn't even create tears any more. He just held Merlin tighter and kissed him.

"Come on, let's get back to the camp before it gets dark. Are you okay to walk?" Arthur held Merlin out at arm's length and looked Merlin over. From what he could see, Merlin had a gash above his left eye, blood pouring down the side of his face. He had scratches here and there and there was a red burn on his neck where he guessed the scarf was torn off. His hair and clothes were caked in mud. Arthur was sure he looked no better.

Merlin tested out his ankle. He flinched when he tried to put weight on it. He looked at Arthur helplessly and shook his head.

Arthur wrapped an arm around Merlin's waist, and Merlin used Arthur's shoulders for support.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you Arthur."

Arthur squeezed Merlin's waist, "It's okay. I'm sorry your camping trip didn't go how you wanted it to go."

Merlin laughed, "Screw the perfect camping trip. I just want to rest in our ramshackle tent and cuddle up next to you." He laced his fingers through Arthur's hand that was resting on his hip.

Slowly, they hobbled back to the campsite. It took hours, but they finally arrived. They washed off the dirt and blood in a nearby creek. Arthur tried to make Merlin leave now and get his ankle checked out, but he refused. He wanted to spend one last night in the great outdoors.

While Merlin rested in the tent, Arthur lay out in the grass and looked up at the starry sky. He thought the pain he felt earlier this morning from sleeping funny was bad. Now, his muscles screamed in protest whenever he moved.

He felt bad about this weekend. Even though Merlin dismissed it, Arthur still wanted to make it up to him; especially now that he got his ankle twisted.

Arthur was about to close his eyes when he saw a quick flash of light. He sat up and stared at the sky. It couldn't have been, could it?

He saw another flash of light. It was!

"Merlin!" He got up and wrenched back the tent opening, Merlin sat up, looking around wildly for the source of Arthur's excitement.

"What?"

"Come here, I want to show you something, quick!" He helped Merlin out of the tent and brought him over to the clearing.

He tugged Merlin down with him on the blanket. "Arthur, what are we doing? What did you want to show me?"

Arthur leaned against a tree and pointed up to the sky, "Watch." Merlin sat between Arthur's legs and lay against his chest.

A few moments went by, "Arthur, I don't see any-"

"Shh, look!"

"Oh…wow…" Merlin face lit up as he watched the meteor shoot through the sky. They sat in silence, watching meteor after meteor fly overhead.

Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin, holding him against his chest. Merlin was so mesmerized by the show in the sky, that Arthur was sure Merlin was unaware that he was trailing his fingers up and down Arthur's legs.

"Hey, Arthur," Merlin said.

"Hm?"

"I take it back."

"Take what back?"

"This camping trip did turn out to be perfect. Thank you."

Merlin looked up at Arthur. Arthur leaned down and pressed his lips to Merlin's. It couldn't get any more perfect than this.


	19. Day Nineteen: Formal Wear (Sunday Best)

Day Nineteen: Formal Wear

(I kind of already did formal wear, so I changed it to 'Wearing their Sunday Best')

Cas begged Dean all week, and as soon as Dean said yes, he was non-stop talking about it. Cas wanted to go to church on Sunday, and while he was excited for it, he wasn't too sure Dean was.

He watched as Dean put on his Sunday Best, dark dress pants and a white button down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Cas wore khakis and a dark blue button down.

Cas scooped up his Bible off the bed and turned with a smile to Dean, "Ready?"

Dean nodded, "After you." He swept his arm out before him. He followed Cas out of the room and Cas noticed him looking back at the bed. Hopefully Dean would enjoy himself; otherwise, Cas would feel really bad.

Cas rambled on and on as they walked to the church. He wondered what the scripture was going to be. What was the pastor like? Would there be a lot of people? Would they sing contemporary songs amongst the traditional hymns?

While he wondered out loud about what hymnals he wanted to sing, Dean held up his hand, "Cas…Cas, listen…Castiel!"

Cas stopped, his mouth hanging open mid-word. He snapped it shut and looked down to the ground. Dean rarely used Cas' full name. When he used it this time, it was like a sharp dagger to the heart. He was angry and Cas felt ashamed.

"I know you're excited, but could you like, take a breath in between sentences? Please?"

Cas tried to smile, "Yeah, sorry Dean. I haven't been properly worshipping the Lord and I felt bad about it and I can't wait to become close to him again and-"

"Cas…you're doing it again."

"Oh, sorry," he said with a chuckle. "I think you'll like it. If you don't, you won't have to come with me again."

"We'll see Cas."

Cas studied Dean's face. Why was he so against going to church? "Dean, why are you so weary of going to church with me?"

Dean sighed, "I don't know, it's just…how can there be a good God if he took my parents away from me and left me and Sam to take care of ourselves?"

Cas thought about it. He honestly wasn't sure what to say without getting Dean mad. The answer that people usually give is 'Because it's all part of God's plan', but people hate hearing that because it's not a concrete answer.

"You're probably going to hit me upside the head when I say this, but He does everything for a reason. I know, I know…you've probably heard that line a million times, but just think about it, okay? There is no for sure answer; it's what you make of it." Cas shrugged, hoping Dean would understand.

Dean was quiet and didn't say anything else the whole way to the church.

When they arrived, people were filing into the wooden doors, taking pamphlets from ushers. Cas smiled and shook each of their hands. He was positively glowing with excitement. Dean just gave a small smile and pushed Cas along.

"Cas, your angel is showing." Cas whipped around and felt his back, eye wide with terror.

"Not your wings, idiot," Dean scoffed.

Cas let out a sigh of relief, "I'll let you know, I can't be held accountable for my angelic reactions today." He chose a pew in the middle of the sanctuary and slid in to let Dean sit. Dean rolled his eyes at Cas' words.

"Say, will I ever get to see your wings?"

Cas' eyes flicked to Dean's. His heart raced and his mouth became dry. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he had wings anymore. He was becoming more human each year, but he felt there may be some juice left to show Dean someday, "Perhaps, but now's not the right time." He looked around the room to make sure no one was watching.

It was a small church, but all the pews were filled with smiling, joyful people. Cas' heart leapt with excitement. He loved seeing people so cheerful for his Father.

The front of the church had a small stage with two podiums, an alter with candles and an old Bible, and a piano. A painting of Jesus with a small flock of sheep was painted on the wall behind the alter. The church had a homey feel, the dark wood giving it a comforting air, and the smell of old Bibles and coffee calmed Cas. Cas was as close to Heaven as he could get.

An older woman started playing a song on the piano, and the pastor walked down the aisle behind a little girl who held a staff, a flame flickering on the end. She lit the candles up front as the pastor took his place behind the podium.

As the girl sat down he cleared his throat, "Good morning everyone! So many people here today, a few new faces I see." Dean fidgeted next to Cas. "Well, no matter new or old, we welcome you all. Are there any announcements to be made today?" The pastor scanned the room and a small, plump lady stood up. She held out a clip board and began to read off the events for the month.

Cas was able to hear about a spaghetti dinner and fundraiser for their mission trip, before Dean elbowed him.

"What?" Cas hissed.

Dean pointed to an event for this morning, "What does 'take time to greet one another' mean? Do we have to get up and…and hug people?" Dean looked horrified, and Cas had to bite down on his lip to hide his laughter. He patted Dean's leg and turned his attention back to the plump lady. Dean growled in annoyance.

The announcement finished and the pastor began to speak again, "Let us bow our heads to pray." Cas bowed his immediately, but he chanced a glance at Dean and saw that his attention was elsewhere. He jabbed him with his elbow and Dean hissed in protestation. He bowed his head too, but Cas doubted he was praying.

Moments later, the pastor ended prayer time with 'amen' and announced it was time for meet and greet. Everyone stood up and people started shaking hands and hugging. Dean groaned next to him.

"Come on Dean, come say hello with me." He tried pulling Dean up, but he refused to move. "Dean, please?" Finally, Dean stood up and Cas went over to the first group of people he saw.

"Hello," He held out a hand, "My name is Cas, this is Dean. It's our first time at this church."

Everyone in the group ignored Cas' out stretched hand. Instead, they brought him in for a hug and introduced themselves. Dean hung back, an awkward smile on his face.

"Well aren't you mister social," Dean whispered as they sank back into the pew.

Cas shot him a look, "Dean, come on, be nice. These people are friendly, harmless, they wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Yeah, just wait until they find out we're more than friends." Dean thumped back against the pew and crossed his arms over his chest.

Cas glared at him and opened his hymnal to sing the first song. He couldn't sing properly though, his mouth felt like cotton and his throat constricted. Would people at this church really be that rude and uncaring towards their love for each other?

When the song ended, the sermon began.

The pastor looked out over the people of his church, "God's love," he began, "What is it exactly? Is it the way a mother dog protects and raises her puppies? Is it the way a friend helps you through a difficult time? Is it the marriage that binds two people together, forever? Is it the way He gives us life and people in our lives to care for and to care for you?" He paused, "In case your still wondering, it's all the above; all the above and more. God's love is infinite. There is not one definition of his love, there are many. The love a friend shows to another is different from the love a mother shows a child or the love couples share. It is also far different from the love God has for us."

Cas glanced at Dean. He wondered what Dean thought of this message. Would he understand that God loves us no matter their preference in men or what has happened in their lives?

Dean's hands were now resting on his lap, loosely folded. Cas chanced it and he slipped his hand in Dean's. Dean jumped a little at the unexpected contact and he tensed as he looked around. If anyone noticed, they didn't seem to care. Dean loosened up and squeezed Cas' hand and they turned their attention back to the pastor.

The rest of the sermon was more examples of God's love and what it really means. He examined a few contemporary songs and scriptures, breaking them apart, like an English professor teaching his students how to analyze poetry.

By the time the service ended, Dean and Cas were still holding hands. They joined the members of the church in their "Bind Us Together" song, though they didn't know it. It was nice, everyone holding hands and singing this song together, God's love flowing through everyone.

When everyone let go, Cas kept holding on to Dean's hand. "Thank you for coming with me, Dean. It meant a lot."

Dean smiled and pulled Cas closer. "No problem," he replied, "And you know, if you ever want to go to church again, I'll-uh…I'll come with you." Dean rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks reddened.

Cas beamed, "Really?"

Dean chuckled, "Really." He pulled Cas in for a hug and a kiss on top of his head.

"Um, excuse me?" A small voice came from behind them. They whipped around, a bit embarrassed.

They both froze. Would they be scorned for their actions? The woman who was demanding their attention smiled at them. Her long dark hair was in a half pony tail and her eyes shone brighter than her smile. She held her hand out to them, "Hi, my name is Shanna, is this your first time to the church?"

Both boys were stunned in silence for a moment, until Dean stepped in and spoke for them, "Yeah, yeah it is. It's a, uh, lovely church. Very nice…people, and stuff."

Shanna laughed, "It's a crazy group of people, that's for sure. I was actually coming over here to ask you two something," she announced, nervously.

"Sure," Cas said, welcoming her question.

"Each year we have a VBS, a Vacation Bible School, and I'm a bit short staffed this year. I know this is the first time I'm meeting you and it's a bit awkward, but would you two like to help? I need someone to manage the games and someone else to teach a lesson for the whole week." She watched their reactions, hoping they wouldn't find it intrusive.

Cas lit up, "I would love to help with the lesson!" Cas looked to Dean who was weary, "But…um, I'm not sure if we'll be able to. We're just kind of checking out different churches…" Cas' heart sank a little. He would really like to help, but he wasn't sure Dean would want to.

"Oh, well that's-" Shanna began.

Dean shifted next to Cas and interrupted her, "We'll help. How bad could running games be?" He nudged Cas and smiled at him.

"Really, Dean, you'll help?"

Dean nodded, "Of course, when does VBS start?"

Shanna smiled, "Next week! Oh thank you so much! I was running out of help. This is great. I'll give you the church contact number and mine in case you have questions." She wrote down the numbers on a piece of paper and handed it to Dean.

"Thanks," he said.

"No, thank you!" And with that, Shanna turned and was lost in the crowd.

Cas couldn't stop smiling on their way home. He was ecstatic that Dean was more comfortable with church.

"Okay, so, I guess it wasn't _that_ bad," Dean said.

Cas nudged him, "I'm glad you liked it. I'm also surprised you volunteered to help with VBS. All those kids running around and driving you insane. You think you can handle it?"

Dean huffed, "Of course I will! You think you'll be able to tell a Bible story without correcting everything little thing they get wrong?"

Cas blushed, "Yes…I hope so."

Dean laughed and slung an arm around Cas' shoulders. They discussed the sermon they just heard the rest of the way back to the apartment. Cas was hopeful; Dean seemed happy with what he heard today. He hoped that the church wouldn't let him down. He felt like he finally found a place where both of them could fit in and where Cas could make friends.


	20. Day Twenty: Dancing

Day Twenty: Dancing

It was a warm, summer night; the stars twinkled above and the moon hid behind the trees.

Dean and Cas walked hand in hand down the sidewalk, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets.

They didn't talk as they strolled passed bars packed with people and dark store fronts. It wasn't until they were in front of a park, the wind shaking the leaves on the trees, that Cas spoke, "Can we just sit on the bench and talk?"

Dean smirked, "Of course." He led them over to a bench and sat down, pulling Cas close to his side. Cas laid his head on Dean's shoulder and sighed. "What's on your mind?"

Cas fiddled with the zipper on Dean's jacket, "Can I say that I'm ashamed about something?"

Dean shifted in the bench so that Cas was leaning against his chest, "What are you ashamed of?"

"I can't…I don't know how to dance," Cas whispered.

"Is that what's been bothering you since the gala?"

Cas nodded, "I felt bad that I couldn't share a dance with you and you had to dance with someone else."

"Don't feel bad. It's not your fault. I'm sure they didn't have dance lessons in Heaven," Dean said, trying to cheer Cas up. It wasn't working. Cas wore a frown and he looked deeply troubled. He really shouldn't be upset about this. Dean didn't care if Cas couldn't dance, but Cas obviously cared. Dean looked to the night sky and an idea popped into his head.

He dug his phone out of his pocket and scrolled to his music. If Cas wanted to learn to dance, well then...

"Okay, so this isn't going to be spectacular or anything, but I'm going to teach you to dance." Dean paused the song he chose and laid his phone on the park bench. He held a hand out to Cas, waiting for him to take it.

Cas sat there, staring at Dean, "Right now?"

"No, tomorrow…yes right now! Come on, take my hand." Dean extended his hand further. Cas eyed it wearily.

Dean huffed and dropped his arm, "Come on, Cas, you want to learn how to dance? Well, I'll teach you, but you gotta take my hand and you gotta trust me."

Cas no longer looked weary, he was trying to shrink back into the bench. He was embarrassed.

Dean's shoulders sagged and he tapped his phone. The song began to play as Dean straightened his shoulders. Cas titled his head at him and Dean's mouth split into a smile.

'_L', is for the way you look at me._

Dean snapped his fingers to the beat and sang along. "'_O' is for the only one I see." _Dean pointed at Cas and tapped his foot. Cas chuckled as Dean's shoulders made small, slight movements along with the music. "'_V' is very, very, extraordinary. 'E' is even more than anyone that you adore can love…."_

Dean grabbed Cas' hand and pulled him off the bench, "First thing first, find the beat."

Dean continued to snap his fingers and motioned for Cas to do the same. Cas watched Dean's fingers and followed suit. He snapped to the music with Dean. "…_Love is more than just a game for two…. _There you go, keep going. _…Take my heart, but please don't break it. Love, was made for me and you."_ Dean continued to sing, very off key, but it was good enough to help Cas focus on the beat. When Nat King Cole's soothing voice stopped singing and the music was the only thing playing, Dean pulled Cas into him.

Cas gasped and stiffened, scared because he wasn't sure what to do. Dean placed a hand on the small of Cas' back and held his hand up in the air until it was level with their shoulders. He guided Cas' other hand to his shoulder, "Use the same beat we were snapping and move your feet and body to it."

Dean rocked back and forth on his feet, swaying his body along with them. Cas was still for a second, trying to remember the snapping beat in his head. Once he got it, he tentatively moved his feet. He was too afraid to even _think_ about moving his body yet. He rocked with Dean, who was smiling, "There you go…you got it. Ready to move out of this spot?"

Cas snapped his head up, "Move?"

Dean laughed and moved his left foot forward causing Cas to stumble backwards. "Easy," Dean said, "Right foot back, left to the side, bring them together, and repeat, but starting right…" They continued this simple waltz step, slowly and not with the beat. Once Cas got the hang of it, they sped up.

Cas' face was lit up with joy as he understood the steps and beats, "What kind of dance is this?" He asked as he stared down at his feet.

"The waltz step. Great for slow dancing."

'_L' is for the way you look at me. _

'_O' is for the only one I see. _

'_V' is very, very, extraordinary._

Dean let go of one of Cas' hands and with the other, he swung Cas out. Cas stumbled again, not prepared for Dean's surprise step. Letting go of Cas' hand, Dean jumped onto the bench, pointed a finger at Cas, and sang,_ "'E' is even more than anyone that you adore can love."_

Cas clapped his hands together and bowed with laughter. As the song became faster and more intense Dean sang louder and louder.

"Dean! Shh! You'll wake up the whole neighborhood!" Cas took a step towards Dean, trying to quiet him down. But Dean grabbed Cas' hand and pulled him up on the bench. Cas collided with Dean, knocking them off balance. Dean wrapped his arms around Cas and pushed their body weight in the opposite direction.

"'_Take my heart and please don't break it.'" _Dean whispered to Cas. He wrapped his arms around Cas and swayed slowly, even though the music was fast. Cas rested his forehead to Dean's and closed his eyes, enjoying the closeness between them. _"'Love, was made for me and you.'"_

Dean tilted his chin and gave Cas a slow, passionate kiss. Their pulses raced and their hands grabbed as the song faded out, leaving them in silence.

Cas pulled away and whispered a breathless, "Thank you."

Dean smiled, "We should do this more often."

"What? Have dance lessons in a park?"

"Well…not in a park, but…where ever."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I'll teach you other dance steps too."

"Like what?"

Dean shrugged, "Tango…ballet..."

"Ballet?" Cas laughed.

"Yes, _ballet_."

"When did you learn ballet?"

Dean was silent for a moment then whispered, "We had to take a few lessons for football."

Cas chuckled, "I look forward to your dance lessons."

Dean jumped from the bench and held a hand out for Cas, "Then why don't we head back to the apartment and I'll teach you a few new steps of the horizontal mambo?" Dean winked.

Cas took Dean's hand and jumped down. He tilted his head at Dean's words, "Horizontal…oh…" Cas smiled and slipped an arm around Dean's waist, "I'd like that."

Dean slung an arm over Cas' shoulders, "Me too."


	21. Day Twenty One: CookingBaking

Day Twenty One: Cooking/Baking:

Merlin could tell Arthur was nervous to go to his house for the weekend. It was the first time he would be meeting Hunith, Merlin's mother. He was scatter brained all week. Merlin had to constantly pick up after his little mistakes and mishaps; like leaving the coffee pot on, putting too much detergent in the wash, knocking over drinks, dropping plates…Arthur was a mess.

"It's alright, Arthur, leave it. I'll clean it up," Merlin said, softly, trying to calm Arthur down. They were leaving for Merlin's house in an hour and Arthur had already managed to spill coffee on his favorite shirt, lose his shoes, and now he had knocked Merlin's coffee off the kitchen counter.

Arthur ran a hand through his hair, "This is ridiculous, what is wrong with me? I mean, you don't freak out when you go to meet my father. You don't knock over cups and spill coffee down your front."

"Everyone deals with nerves differently," Merlin said. He was crouched down on the floor, a rag in hand.

Arthur scoffed, "What's your secret?" He stooped down and picked up the pieces of the mug…This would be cup number four…

Merlin shrugged, "I keep it all inside. If you don't notice, I'm all jumpy and stiff whenever we have to go to your house or see your father. He is one scary man. I mean, he is this big to do in the world, and I'm just wee little Merlin."

Arthur laughed and leaned against the counter. "Compared to your mother, I'm just wee little Arthur." His smile faded as he fiddled with his hands. "Mothers are extraordinary human beings. I mean, they bring us into the world and well, your mother happened to bring one amazing, wee little Merlin into the world. I'm afraid I'll disappoint her."

Merlin stopped mopping up the spilt coffee and leaned back on his heels. He felt warmth crawl through his veins and envelop him. Of all the things Arthur had ever said to him, this was the sweetest, most profound thing yet. He reached out and placed a hand on Arthur's, "My mum will love you. There's no way you could ever disappoint her, especially after saying that," Merlin said, glancing at the clock, "Shit, but she will punish us if we're late."

Arthur's brows knitted together.

"She won't let us eat the desserts we're making!" Merlin got up and tossed the rag in the laundry basket.

"Desserts? We-we're baking? Merlin, I don't know how to bake! Oh my God, she'll think I'm incompetent or something." Arthur looked annoyed and more nervous. Merlin was afraid he'd blow up the apartment if they didn't leave now. He knew one thing for sure…Arthur was not driving.

~o0o~

The closer they got to Merlin's house, the more anxious Arthur became. He fixed his hair in the mirror more times than Merlin could count; parting it to the right, than the left, then down the middle, only to put it back to flat against his forehead. He fiddled with his dark blue button down, buttoning and re-buttoning the top button. Merlin tried not to smile as he watched Arthur smooth down his shirt. It was a lost cause; Arthur was too adorable when he was flustered.

"What? Do I look stupid? I should've worn the sweater. Maybe I'll change real quick," he said as he turned to reach for his duffle bag. Merlin reached out and placed a hand on Arthur's thigh.

"Arthur, breathe. You look fine."

Arthur settled into his seat, "Are we there yet?"

"Oh my God, you're worse than a five year old. Yes, five more minutes."

Arthur nodded and fell silent. He didn't speak again until they pulled up in front of the house. He leaned forward and looked up at the house, "Jesus."

"What?" Merlin whipped his head around, thinking there was something wrong with the house. Everything looked fine. The garden was neatly trimmed and the rainbow of flowers danced in the breeze. The curtains were pulled back and the windows were wide open, inviting in the fresh air. The wind chimes Merlin had made when he was little still hung in the front garden.

"It's…perfect. Dammit Merlin, it's like a picture perfect country house. You didn't tell me it was so…quaint."

Merlin opened his door and stepped out of the car. He turned to look at his house; it was small and came complete with homemade pies and cakes and a white picket fence, but nothing to be _that_ excited about. Merlin walked around to the back and pulled out their duffle bags, "It's not much, but it's home."

Arthur tilted his head, "Did you just…"

"Yes. Yes I did…it's my own Burrow."

Arthur laughed and relaxed for a second, before going straight back to fixing every wrinkle and stray strand of hair.

Merlin shook his head, "Come here." Arthur took a step towards Merlin. Merlin reached out and ran a hand through Arthur's hair, giving it that windswept look that Merlin found extremely sexy. He undid the top button of Arthur's shirt, revealing the white t-shirt he wore underneath. "Seriously, it's my mother, not the Queen. She's not going to care what you look like." Merlin leaned in and kissed away Arthur's nervous smile. "Ready?"

Arthur nodded, "Now or never, right?"

Merlin chuckled and patted Arthur's chest. He threw a duffle bag at Arthur, "Come on, tough guy."

Merlin led the way up the rock path, Arthur following close behind. The front door was open and Merlin could see inside the house through the screen door. Merlin knocked on the screen, "Mother?" He called. They waited on the porch, before Merlin opened the screen door, the hinges squeaking loudly. He beckoned Arthur forward.

The house was just as Merlin remembered. Pictures of him and his mother hung all over the walls and perched on tables. Their couch, which had dozens of pillows on it, was centered in the living room in front of the fireplace. The cuckoo clock chimed as they walked in. Merlin looked to Arthur, curious as to what he thought. Arthur's eyes roamed the room, every nook and cranny of it. His mother loved decorating and collecting rugged country cottage trinkets.

The house smelled of dough and apples. "She must've started the apple pie," Merlin stated. But Arthur wasn't paying attention; he was examining all the photos of a young Merlin. He was currently looking at a photo of Merlin and his mother enjoying a sunny day at the park.

Merlin remembered that day. It had been raining for a full week straight and they finally had a beautiful day. He had begged his mother to go to the park. She took him of course, and they spent the whole time playing on the swings. His mother took the picture. Merlin's childish look of surprise wasn't in fact faked. He had swung back and wasn't expecting his mother to stop him. She wrapped her arm around him and held the camera out in front of them, snapping the picture before letting him go.

Arthur smiled at the picture, "This is a lovely picture of you and your mum." He pointed at the picture, swallowing hard.

"It's one of my favorites too." Merlin spun around when he heard the small, soft-spoken voice.

"Mum!" He dropped his bag and in two strides, he had her in a vice-like hug. She giggled and hugged him back. She was a lot shorter than Merlin and her head rested on his chest. Her long, dark hair was done up in a bun, and she had a smudge of flour on her nose.

"Oh, I missed you Merlin. The house has been so quiet without you."

"Missed you too, mum, I have someone for you to meet." Merlin eased back on the hug and turned to Arthur. Arthur stood stock still, his nervous smile plastered on his face. "Mum, this is Arthur." He swept his hand out to Arthur, "Arthur, my mum."

Arthur stepped forward and held a hand out to Merlin's mother, "Hello, Hunith, it's nice to finally meet you." His father's stiff, business side was showing, and Merlin wished he'd let his guard down. Hunith took Arthur's hand, and then surprised Arthur, and Merlin, by pulling Arthur in for a gentle hug and a swift kiss on the cheek.

"I've heard much about you, Arthur. I couldn't wait to meet you." She held his face in her hands for a moment. Arthur's nervous smile disappeared, and it was replaced by a look of tranquility.

She dropped her hands and turned to Merlin, "So, are you boys ready to bake?" She went back to the kitchen, leaving a confused Arthur behind.

Merlin looked to him, hoping he was alright with the affection Hunith showed him.

"I like your mum," he said. "Does she greet everyone like that?"

Merlin chuckled, "Only to people she likes."

Arthur looked uncertain, but accepted Merlin's words. "Well, shall we?" He asked, a little embarrassed.

Merlin led the way to the kitchen, Arthur close behind.

Hunith was placing the apple pie on the stove when they entered. Merlin breathed in the sweet, warm smell of one of Hunith's favorite treats.

"Alright boys, what are we going to make?" She asked. She turned around, smiling wide.

Merlin looked to Arthur, who was biting his bottom lip, "Arthur?"

"Hm?" He turned to look at Merlin.

"What do you want to make?"

Arthur shrugged, "Uh-"

"What's your favorite dessert?" Hunith asked. She was rummaging through the drawers and cabinets for the odds and ends of baking.

Merlin watched as Arthur thought about it. He licked his lips and looked to Merlin. Merlin gave him a _Not that kind of dessert_ look and Arthur smiled, "I've always been fond of peanut butter cookies."

"Perfect, have you ever baked before, Arthur?"

"Um, no…my father was always too busy to even cook."

Hunith gave Arthur a sympathetic look, "Well, we'll change that."

She took Arthur's hand and led him over to the counter. For the next hour, Merlin, Hunith, and Arthur measured out flour and peanut butter. It took Arthur a few tries to crack the egg and get it in the bowl without shells, but when he got it, his face lit up like a kid's on Christmas morning.

By the time they finally got the batter into the oven, all three of them were covered in flour, thanks to Arthur. It wasn't like he did it on purpose, but his hands were covered in flour and just one small flick in Merlin's direction…needless to say, they were going to have to buy more flour for Hunith.


	22. Day Twenty Two: In Battle

Day Twenty Two: In Battle:

(WARNING: Major character deaths, blood, gore, and violence)

The dust rose and swirled in the air, tinted red from the blood. It obstructed the scene that played out in the rocky, barren mountainside. The only thing Merlin could make out was the screams of men, the clanging of armor, and the swish of swords in the air. His heart pounded as he grasped for something to hold on to. His body ached and he wanted to give up, but he couldn't. Arthur needed him. Somewhere in this mess of chainmail and blood was his King.

Merlin pushed himself up from the ground and rolled away from a falling body. He didn't have time to see who had fallen next to him for the fallen warrior's attacker was aiming for Merlin. Merlin jumped away from the swing of the attacker's sword and held both his hands out. A static current resonated from somewhere deep within, traveling through his body, and shooting out of his hands in the form of a sonic wave. The attacker and few unprepared standbys were thrown through the air. The wave slammed them into the rocks nearby, causing the stone to crumble around them, crushing their brittle bodies.

Merlin turned on his heel and ran into the throng of fighting bodies. He shoved people out of his way and blasted enemies out of his path. He had to find Arthur, before it was too late.

He wished he would've worn more armor. His wool clothing would not deflect the strike of a sword. Sure he had his magic, but he couldn't keep a three sixty eye on his surroundings.

When he felt a hand on his shoulder he jabbed his elbow out, coming in contact with chainmail. The attacker grabbed his elbow and whirled him around. He was about to land a blow before he recognized the curtain of silky hair and dark, piercing eyes.

"Gwaine! I almost killed you!"

Gwaine gave Merlin a hard shove into the crowd, "No time to chat Merlin, Arthur is surrounded, he needs cover!"

Merlin didn't think twice. With Gwaine behind him, he could focus on the task at hand. He blasted through a wall of enemies and used their slumped bodies to catapult himself forward. They were almost at the center of the battle when a new wave of enemies swarmed the battle sight. It seemed like there was a never ending supply of them. Just when Merlin thought they were winning, more came in, killing more and more Camelot soldiers.

"ARTHUR!" Merlin yelled into the crowd, craning his neck and blasting away enemies. He sent a sonic wave through a clump of enemies and sighed a brief breath of relief when he spotted the blonde hair and blue eyes of his King. Arthur was breathing heavy as sweat poured down his face and mixed with the dirt and blood that was caked on his face. His face relaxed for a moment when he saw Merlin, but it tensed in concentration just as quickly.

He fell forward as one of the Saxons brought the hilt of their sword down onto Arthur's shoulder. Merlin surged forward, thrust his left hand out and blasted the Saxon back. He lifted Arthur and touched every inch of his face that he could, "Arthur, I'm here. We'll win this. Together!"

Arthur smiled, "Took you long enough!" His eyes flicked over Merlin's shoulder and his face turned to stone "Watch it!" He yelled. He pushed Merlin to the side and drove his sword into the oncoming Saxon with an angry yell.

Merlin didn't waste any time. He stood behind Arthur, their backs pushing against each other, using each other for support. Gwaine joined their triangle and together they battled the Saxons.

Gwaine used his strength and unique swordsman ship to lessen the attack from the south. Arthur used his years of training and courage to thwart any enemy who came close to them. Merlin used the powers of the Earth, his magic, to blow back the surge of new coming Saxons.

When Merlin first heard about the prophecy of Courage, Strength, and Magic, he thought it was just one of those things that bridge guardians were supposed to say. But as Merlin, Arthur, and Gwaine fought side by side more and more, Merlin began to see the power the three held together. If one of them were to fall, they all would.

Despite the power of three, the constant use of Merlin's magic was debilitating. The strain from harvesting his magic and bringing it to full power was draining him mentally and physically. He found himself leaning on Arthur and Gwaine's shoulders more and more.

Arthur must have noticed because he took a break in the string of attackers to bring his full attention to Merlin.

"Merlin you need to rest!" He yelled over the noise of war.

Merlin blasted a Saxon away from him and shook his head. "Arthur, I need to protect you!"

Arthur brought his sword down on a Saxon's head, splitting the top and spraying them with blood. He wrenched his sword out of the enemies head and turned back to Merlin, "You can't very well protect me when you can barely hold yourself up!" Arthur grabbed Merlin and Gwaine by the arms and dragged them to the edge of the rocky passageway. He found a crevice, large enough to hold them, but small enough to make it painfully cramped. "Gwaine, watch Merlin, make sure he gets a moment's rest."

Merlin tore his arm from Arthur's grasp, "Arthur, no! You don't understand! If I don't protect you, if I don't fight side by side with you…" He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Arthur couldn't die…Merlin had to protect him with his magic, with his life.

"Merlin, you are waiting here with Gwaine until you can stand on your own two feet!"

"But-"

"That's an order, Merlin!" His eyes glared with fury. "I can't argue with you. My men need me. Rest for a moment, get your strength back, then you can come back." Without another word Arthur turned back into the throng of sweaty, bloody bodies. Gwaine shoved Merlin further into the crevice.

"Gwaine, please-"

"You heard the King, Merlin and you know he's right. You can't defend him if you're panting and dying on the ground." He shoved a water pouch into Merlin's hands, "Drink."

Merlin chugged some water before offering it to Gwaine, who took it without a word. He watched the entrance to the crevice, checking for any lurking Saxons.

Merlin itched to be back out there next to Arthur. He could already feel his magic stirring inside, boiling to the surface. He stood from the boulder he was perched on and swayed on the spot when his vision blurred.

"Whoa, Merlin, sit. Don't you ever listen? It's a wonder how Arthu-" Gwaine was cut off by a loud crack coming from outside the cave. It sounded like lightening striking solid rock. It vibrated the ground and Merlin's heart pounded.

_Arthur._

Gwaine pushed Merlin back onto the rock, "Sit here or I swear, I will run my sword through your leg and _pin_ you here!" Gwaine shimmied through the crevice and took off as soon as he was out of the opening. Merlin squirmed in his seat. Slowly his head was clearing, he felt stronger, his magic painfully pulsed through him. He couldn't sit any longer. He rose to two feet, relieved when his vision didn't blur and the contents of his stomach didn't feel like they would escape. He bounded out of the crevice with more ease than Gwaine and found himself face to face with a horrid scene.

Bodies of Camelot soldiers lay scattered all around, many of them burned beyond recognition. The battle continued to rage on around them, but this time, flames licked at their feet and at the rocky walls. Merlin looked to the sky and saw Aithusa, circling the battlefield, waiting to strike. At the top of the wall stood a silhouette; the silhouette of Morgana. She raised her hands and sent waves of red current through the crowd of soldiers. It knocked back Camelot warriors and Saxon's. She didn't care who she took down in her path, as long as she reached her target.

Merlin was held in his stance by fear. Had she already gotten to Arthur?

He told himself to move, but he was frozen. He willed his brain to send the message to his legs. Slowly, he came to realization and he found himself sprinting through the crowd, searching for Arthur once again.

He wasn't sure how long he had been looking, but before he knew it, rain began to fall from the sky making the task at hand even more difficult.

He had not found Arthur yet, but he did see Percival up ahead fighting off five men at once. Merlin was about to run forward to help him when he was shoved out of the way and thrown to the ground. Gwaine had pushed through the crowd and was running towards Percival. He yelled something about 'watch out', but Merlin couldn't see what Percival needed to watch for before it was too late.

A large Saxon, the size of Percival himself, was charging the unsuspecting Knight. Merlin scrambled to his feet and ran to help, but Gwaine got there first. Despite Percival's size, Gwaine's strength knocked him out of the way. The blow by the large Saxon that Percival would've received was given to Gwaine. Merlin watched in horror as the Saxon's blade pierced through Gwaine's chainmail and with a gut-wrenching sound, tore through Gwaine's chest.

The sound of rushing blood to Merlin's ears blocked out Percival's scream. He could only watch as Percival leapt forward and sliced through the Saxon's neck. He went crazy, slashing and stabbing every Saxon in sight. Merlin hadn't stopped running and when he finally reached Gwaine, the amount of blood was horrific. Gwaine's mouth opened and closed as he tried to speak. Merlin dropped to his knees and placed a hand over the gaping wound, knowing it wouldn't do much to help.

The lump in his throat wouldn't let words pass. He ran a hand through Gwaine's hair and tried shushing him, making his passing less painful. "Gwaine," he choked out, "Gwaine, I-I'm so so-sorry."

Gwaine's eyes found Merlin's and the corner of his mouth twitched, as if he tried to smile. Percival finally joined them. His large arms wrapped around Gwaine and held him as he convulsed. He rested his forehead to Gwaine's, whose eyes stared into the stormy skies above, seeing nothing.

Merlin choked on his sobs and reached a hand out to Percival, "Ta-take him…Go." He couldn't say more, but Percival understood. With gentle fingers he closed Gwaine's eyes and scooped him into his arms. He ran away from the raging battle towards the Camelot camp.

Merlin wiped away his tears and with a fierce new energy, he jumped into the battle and searched for his Arthur.

The image of Gwaine's death was imprinted in his mind. The twitch of his mouth, the gleam of his eye snuffed out…it brought new tears to Merlin's eyes. He blinked them back and screamed for Arthur. His screamed for his King…his friend…his love.

"Merlin!" Merlin whipped around at his name, his heat sinking just a little when he realized it wasn't Arthur. Leon was running toward him. He had a gash across his cheek and blood dripped from his hair. "Arthur…Arthur's on the hill!" He yelled over the clanking of swords, "He's fighting Mordred!"

Merlin paled, his heart stopped, and his stomach clenched. This was exactly what Merlin was trying to avoid. "Where?!"

Leon pointed up to the top of the hill. Silhouetted against the clouds and rain were two figures. They fought fiercely, swords smacking against each other, blows delivered to their heads. Merlin pushed past Leon and ran to the rock wall. He shoved his feet into crevices and began to climb. He climbed with speed he had never mustered before. He reached the top in no time.

Hauling himself over the edge he saw Arthur and Mordred more clearly. Their jaws were clenched and their yells were clearer. Merlin held out his hands, ready to knock Mordred back.

He felt the static rise, but before it could reach its potential, an invisible force grabbed him and yanked him back. He tumbled backwards, away from Arthur and closer to the edge of the cliff. He rolled over and saw Morgana, standing feet away from Merlin.

Merlin jumped to his feet and held his hands out, prepared to battle against Morgana. His magic rolled off his hands and released a swirl of dark mass. It shot towards Morgana and wrapped around her. Her smile was wicked as she tensed her arms and broke through Merlin's binds. As her arms rose up and away from her body, two blue orbs glowed in her hands. As her hands met in the air the orbs became one and she threw them at Merlin.

Merlin was ready for her this time. With his magic, he grabbed the orbs as they surged towards him. They halted midair and with a twist of his wrists the orbs disappeared. Morgana glared at Merlin.

"You think you can save your King. Not today _Emrys_. For today is my day. It is my time for victory!" She screeched her last words and punched her fist into the air. A lightning bolt came down from the sky and with an open hand she harvested it in her palm. She grasps the energy in her hand and threw it at Merlin. Merlin jumped out of the way and the bolt missed him by inches. But Morgana had harvested more than one bolt's energy. She threw bolt after bolt, each one missing Merlin by a hair. Morgana screamed in frustration.

"Enough of this child's play!" She grabbed Merlin with an invisible force and shoved him against a rock wall. He was unable to move his arms and legs. He couldn't even lift a finger. "Mordred! Kill him! Strike him now!"

Merlin could only watch in fear as Mordred found a new surge of energy and he attacked Arthur with full force. His sword came down on Arthur, left, right, left…Arthur lost his footing and stumbled. Mordred took this moment and thrust his sword into Arthur.

"NO!" Merlin was frantic for release. He squirmed and thrashed, but the binds Morgana held him in were too strong. Arthur fell to one knee, his sword still in hand. With the last of his energy, he reared up and thrust his sword into Mordred. The boy's delightful smile faded and he fell with a thud to the ground.

It was Morgana's turn to yell in anguish. Merlin felt her magic loosen on him and he broke free of her bonds. She turned in horror to Merlin. Merlin held his hand out and Arthur's sword, which had fallen next to him, flew in the air and into Merlin's hand. He leapt forward and with one easy plunge, the sword pierced Morgana's heart and she fell. Merlin pulled the sword out of her and ran to Arthur.

Arthur lay on his back, his chest heaving with the effort to breathe. Merlin fell to his knees next to Arthur.

"No…no, no, no…Arthur, it's okay. I'm here. Merlin's here." He scooped Arthur into his arms and held him against his chest. "You'll be okay, I'll save you. I promise."

Arthur patted Merlin's hand, "Mer-lin. I thought…you'd never come." He gave Merlin a half-hearted smile and squeezed Merlin's hand.

Tears rolled down Merlin's cheek. "Arthur, you can't. I promised. I promised to protect you or… to protect you or die at your side," He choked out.

Arthur winced in pain as he reached up and stroked Merlin's hair. "You-you did all you could. We won. We built Albion." He took a deep breath and curled into Merlin's arms. "Mer-lin…never, forget…me, please?"

"I won't," he whispered, "Because you're going to stay with me, forever." He gripped Arthur tighter as he felt his King's limbs slacken. "No…Arthur, please. Stay with me."

Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes. The stormy sky was reflected in them, masking out the brilliant blue, "I…love you…Merlin. Th-thank you." His eyes closed slowly and his smile faded.

Merlin sobbed into Arthur's hair, "No….no…Arthur…It's okay…I'll save you…Arthur!" He screamed his name, but the King moved no more.

Merlin slumped forward, holding Arthur against his chest, and he cried and he prayed, but Arthur's eyes never opened…

Merlin's eyes flicked open and he blink backed the tears. His body was covered in sweat and he gasped for breath. His legs were tangled in the sheets on his bed and his hands gripped them tightly. He sat up and looked to his left. The place where Arthur should've been was empty. "Ar-thur?" His throat was hoarse. Had he been yelling?

He threw back the covers and scrambled to his bedroom door. He didn't even try to keep the noise down as he bounded down the stairs. He saw light pouring out of the kitchen and he ran to the doorway. He slid to a stop and let out a small sob when he saw Arthur standing over the stove. Arthur turned at the noise and froze when he saw Merlin, "Merlin? Merlin what's-oh…"

Merlin bounded across the kitchen and threw himself into Arthur's arms. "Don't ever leave me," he said into Arthur's hoodie. He clutched at the back of his hoodie, holding on to his Arthur. He breathed in deep and buried his face into Arthur's neck. He let his tears fall onto Arthur's shoulder. He let the heat from Arthur's body sink into him. It assured him that Arthur was here, he was alive.

Arthur rubbed small circles on Merlin's back. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Merlin sobbed at his words, the words that reminded him of his dream, when he wasn't able to keep his promise. Arthur held him through the sobs that wracked his body.

They stood in Hunith's kitchen, wrapped in each other's arms, making silent promises.


	23. Day Twenty Three: Arguing

Day Twenty Three: Arguing:

The harsh shrill of a cellphone made both Cas and Dean jump.

They were cuddling on the couch watching TV. Cas rested his head on Dean's chest as Dean wrapped his angel up in his arms.

The top of Cas' head collided with Dean's chin as he tried to get up to answer the phone.

"Argh! Cas!"

Cas tumbled off the couch, "Sorry! Sorry, Dean," He said, rubbing the top of his head. He slid into the kitchen and snatched his phone off the counter.

"Hello? Oh, uh, hey Nate, what um-What's up?" Cas rubbed the back of his neck. His voice shook and his eyes flicked over to Dean.

Dean sensed that Cas was uncomfortable so he rose and went over to Cas, a questioning expression on his face.

He watched as Cas avoided Dean's eyes, focusing his attention on the hem of his shirt.

His expression changed from confusion to hopeful as he looked up at Dean, "Really?" He grabbed an envelope and pen and jotted down a time and the name of a popular bar in their neighborhood.

Dean tilted his head and read the name. He furrowed his brow. _Who was this 'Nate' and why was he asking Cas to join him at a bar._

Dean tapped Cas' arm with the back of his fingers and jutted his chin out, trying to find out what was going on. Cas shook his head and held a finger up.

Dean felt heat rise into his face. _Did Cas just brush off Dean?_

"Okay, sounds like a plan. Thanks, Nate. I'll see you tonight." Cas hung up and placed the phone on the counter. He looked to Dean with a smile, "That was Nate, from the restaurant; he invited me to go out with the group tonight. I guess they've accepted me, finally." Cas huffed out a laugh.

Dean bit his bottom lip, "Is Nate one of the douchebags who lied to you about where they were going the other week?"

Cas looked down at his feet, embarrassed, "Well…ya but before you judge, we've been getting along much better. I mean, we're joking and laughing and actually having fun at the restaurant now. I think they've accepted me, Dean."

Dean was still skeptical about all this. He cared about Cas, a lot, and he didn't want to see him come home heart broken and upset again.

"Okay, but what if-"

"What if they lie to me again? Dean, they apologized, I told you this. They said they felt like total pricks for lying to me and they wanted to make it up. Don't be so…overbearing." Cas said jokingly as he walked around to the other side of the island.

Dean stared back, incredulous, "Overbearing? I'm sorry Cas, but do you not remember what happened? How upset you were?"

Cas clenched his jaw, "Yes, Dean, I remember…and you don't have to remind me okay? It's done, it's over and I've forgiven them. Can you?" Cas gestured to Dean, his cheeks flushed with anger; his blue eyes sparked with fury.

"No. I can't Cas. Just because someone says they're sorry, they don't always mean it. What if they do it again? What then? You're going to come home, crying and upset that they've tricked you again?"

"I'm not a baby, Dean. I don't cry at everything," Cas said, his voice going up an octave.

Dean gripped the edge of the counter and leaned forward, "Newsflash, Cas: you are technically a child in this world!"

Cas' mouth popped open, "I am not a child! Just because I'm becoming more human each day, doesn't mean I don't understand forgiveness!"

"You can forgive them all you want, but you'll never understand how cruel people can be. Angels see the good in people before they see the bad, and that my friend," Dean sneered, degrading Cas, "Is how you will get hurt over and over again." Dean walked around the counter, pointing a finger at Cas and nudged him in the shoulder, a little harder than he intended to.

Cas gave him a look of disgust and smacked Dean's hand away, "I've been on this Earth as a human, feeling what humans feel, doing what humans do, for long enough, and I think I can see past the good in people and work out what makes them 'bad'. For you example, you-" He pointed at Dean, squinting his eyes. Dean looked taken aback, "-As soon as I was assigned as your guardian angel I _loved_ you, in every form of the word. You amazed and captivated me because you cared about everyone and everything in your life. When your parents passed away, you were there for Sam and you helped him to live a normal life. That's why I became human! I became human for you Dean because you deserved someone to love you the way you've shown love to other people!"

Dean's mouth was opened in shock; he wasn't sure what to say to Cas. He opened his mouth to respond, but the former angel was fuming, "But now…now that I understand feeling and emotions, I'm starting to see that you aren't all love and caring. You have one of the worst human attributes a person can have: jealousy!"

Dean gasped, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, jealousy. Because I know behind your 'worry' for me, you're jealous that I got invited to go out with friends. Jealous that I might flirt and hang out with other guys and Heaven forbid I can go out and have fun without you exuding that disgusting jealousy!" Cas stepped back from Dean, a bit nervous that Dean might hit him. His fists were now balled up and his jaw was clenched.

He shook his head and held his hands up, palms towards Cas, "Fine. You don't want me to feel protective of you, then I won't. Maybe you aren't as ready to understand human emotions as you think you are because that's not jealousy I'm 'exuding', Castiel!" His voice shook with anger as he said the angel's full name, like he was punishing a child. He pushed past Cas, bumping into his shoulder and forcing him to fall into the fridge.

Cas watched as Dean grabbed his coat, his phone, and his apartment keys. His heart pounded and he started to regret everything he had said.

"Dean-"

Dean held up a hand to stop him, "No. Don't. Go out and have your fun. I…I need…" He looked around the apartment, until his eyes fell on Cas again, "I need to leave. I need space from you. You obviously don't need me right now."

Tears formed in Cas' eyes as Dean walked out. He jumped as the door slammed shut. Cas looked around at the empty apartment; the silence was deafening. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair. As he slid down the fridge, he let the tears pour down his cheeks. Cas wasn't sure how long he sat there, sobbing into his hands, but only one thought ran through his mind.

_What have I done?_

Tears continued to roll down Cas' cheeks and through his fingers. His phone rang multiple times as the clock ticked closer to seven…seven thirty…eight…

Castiel wouldn't be going out tonight.


	24. Day Twenty Four: Making Up Afterwards

Day Twenty Four: Making Up Afterwards:

Castiel ran.

He ran out of the apartment, down the stairs, and out of the building. He ran past the bar where he was supposed to meet Nate, two hours ago. He sprinted past the garage Dean worked at. As he rounded the corner, tears pooled in his eyes and his heart jumped to his throat. Merlin and Arthur's apartment came into view and Cas whimpered in relief.

Dean was there, he had to be. Where else would he go?

His chest burned and his breathing was short and shallow, but he pushed through the discomfort. He pushed through the throbbing in his legs and the sweat pouring down his face. He persevered; the pain was worth it if it meant finding Dean.

How could Cas be so…_stupid_? All Dean ever done for him was out of love, not jealousy. Why did those words leave his mouth? Why did he let them?

Maybe it's because he's not the great human being he thought he'd be.

Cas huffed in frustration; no matter how fast he ran, he felt like the apartment never got closer. He was finally at the door and he fumbled to find the buzzer for Merlin and Arthur's apartment. He pressed it multiple times until he heard a voice come through the speaker.

"_Jesus, mate, who is it?"_ Arthur.

"Arthur? Arthur- I, um…" Cas couldn't catch his breath.

"_Cas? Cas are you okay? I'll buzz you in."_

The door clicked and Cas yanked it opened. He eyed the stairs, but his lungs constricted in protest. He leaned against the wall of the elevator and wiped the sweat from his brow. It would be worth it, every drop of sweat, every tear. As long as he could make it up to Dean, all his efforts wouldn't be in vain.

The elevator dinged and before the doors could open completely, Cas was squeezing through.

After three loud knocks, the door opened, revealing a worried Merlin and Arthur.

"Is Dean here?" Cas blurted.

Merlin and Arthur exchanged confused glances. "Uh, no, why? Is he missing?" Arthur asked, leaning in, concerned for his friend.

Cas felt like he was going to lose the contents in his stomach, "He-he's not here?" He asked voice cracking.

Merlin shook his head, "No, Cas, what's going on? You wanna come in?" Merlin's eyes widened in fear; after all, it wasn't every day Cas came to their door, scared and asking for Dean.

"No, no I have to find him. We got into a fight. I said things I shouldn't have and…I just…I have to find him. I need to apologize."

Merlin and Arthur gave Cas sympathetic looks, "Well, do you want help finding him?"

Cas thought about it. He really thought Dean would've come here, but obviously he was wrong. He could be anywhere.

"Um, no…it's fine. I don't want to intrude on your evening."

"You wouldn't be! Cas, you're our friend, I'm sure Lord of The Rings can wait." Merlin and Arthur grabbed their coats and lead Cas out of the building.

"Alright, so where do you think he'd go?" Arthur asked, zipping up his jacket.

Cas thought about it. A bar? Hopefully not. Was he just wandering the streets? Cas' eyes stung with fresh tears. He felt foolish crying in front of his friends, but everything felt hopeless.

Merlin lay his hand on Cas' shoulder, "Hey, Cas, I'm sure you'll find him. Does he have his cellphone?" Cas nodded, "Trying calling him then."

He nodded again and through his tears he found Dean's number and pressed the call button. It went to voicemail. "He didn't answer. I screwed up big time, didn't I?"

"All couples get into fights, Cas. I'm sure you can fix what ever happened."

"How? I don't even know where he is or if he'll come back? I lo-" His voice cracked and he cleared his throat, "I love him. I don't want to lose him because I said something stupid while I was angry!" He looked up to the sky, the darkness was dotted with stars. Cas squinted and tilted his head, then it dawned on him. Dean wouldn't go to Merlin and Arthur or a bar full of people. He would need to clear his head and be able to focus on one thing. Cas.

"I think I know where he is." He turned and started jogging towards the park.

"Cas? Cas, should we come with?" Merlin yelled after him.

"No! Thank you though!" He yelled over his shoulder. He waved as his jogging turned into a run.

His heart pounded against his chest. Dean _had _to be here…he had to be. He tried to remember the route they took on their first date. Cas wondered how differently that date could've gone if they had seen the movie instead of getting lost.

But Cas wouldn't have it any other way. The memory of kissing Dean on the bridge and then watching the stars overhead was imprinted on his mind. He would never forget the way Dean stared at him in awe as they watched the stars. That's when he claimed that his favorite thing about Cas, was the way he loved everything.

He reached the bridge, his body shaking with anticipation, but Dean wasn't there. Cas leaned against the railing and tried to catch his breath. Maybe he was in the meadow where they watched the stars?

Cas turned to investigate the meadow when a voice broke through the night air.

"Over here, Cas."

Cas whipped around and looked for the source of the voice, relieved when he found Dean, nestled on the branch of a thick, old tree.

"Dean," he sighed. Now that he was here, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't form words, his thoughts were jumbled, and his heart threatened to burst through his chest. "Dean, I'm sorry. I take it back, everything…I take it all back. Plea-please forgive me?" He took a few steps towards the tree, watching Dean as he focused on a twig in his hand.

Dean let the twig fall from his fingers and he looked down at Cas, sighing, "Cas…what you said…you don't understand, I…everything I do, is because I care. I care about you and I don't want to see you hurt. It hurts me to see you upset."

Cas took another step forward, "I know that now, and I'm sorry. Dean, you've done nothing but show me love and care, and for me to say those things to you…it was wrong. Can you find it in your heart, to forgive me? Because I don't think I can live without you, Dean." Cas twisted his fingers nervously as he waited for Dean to respond.

"Of course I forgive you, Cas. You just... It really hurt and I had to get out. Blow off some steam."

Cas let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding, "Thank you, Dean. I will never hurt you again. I promise."

Dean chuckled as he jumped from the tree. "Cas, that's a big promise to make, you sure you can keep it?" Dean sauntered over to Cas and wrapped his arms around his angel's waist.

Cas bit his lip and looked up at Dean through his eyelashes. "For you, I will try my best."

Dean leaned in and kissed Cas fervently. Hands roamed as soft moans escaped from the two boys. Cas broke the kiss first and leaned his forehead to Dean's, "We should probably take this back to the apartment."

Dean nodded in agreement and took Cas' hand.

"Plus, I have a few ideas on how I can make it up to you." He winked at Dean, who smiled widely.

"I can't wait," Dean whispered.


	25. Day Twenty Five: Gazing Into His Eyes

Day Twenty Five: Gazing Into Each Other's Eyes:

He could do it. All he had to do was reach in and…

No.

No, he couldn't. His fingers shook, his heart pounded, his stomach burst with butterflies. Arthur Pendragon couldn't. Physically. Do it.

He tried breathing, but it came out ragged and only made him more nervous.

_Hold it together, Arthur, for God's sake._

Arthur took a deep breath. "Merlin?" It was barely a whisper and Merlin hadn't heard him. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Merlin?"

Merlin looked up from his book. "Hm?" He looked to Arthur, expecting, waiting. It didn't help that the love of his life was curled up in a blanket, reading his favorite book, and sitting there with his damn messy hair and stunningly blue eyes.

Those eyes. Arthur remembered when he and Merlin first looked each other in the eyes. The bookstore was packed with people buying last minute books and other odds and ends before the start of a new school year. Arthur was messing around with Gwaine and Leon, acting stupid and immature in the notebook isle.

Arthur wasn't paying attention to where he was going and backed right into Merlin. All the books he was carrying toppled to the floor and Merlin cascaded into a postcard rack, knocking it to the ground.

Arthur said his apologies and helped Merlin with his books. While they were both crouched down, Arthur glanced up. He had to stifle his intake of breath. Merlin's eyes were a stormy sea of anger, no doubt directed towards Arthur. Despite the glare, Arthur couldn't stop staring at him.

"Um…thanks," Merlin tugged the text book from Arthur's hands; creeped out by Arthur's staring.

Arthur blinked, "Right…yah." Arthur stood up and was about to turn away, "Again, sorry…about…"

Merlin waved him off, "Whatever," he said. Then under his breath he muttered, "Prat."

To this day, Arthur hasn't told him that he heard Merlin mutter those words. Even now, lost in his azure eyes filled with curiosity, he didn't want to tell Merlin, but tonight was different.

Arthur cleared his throat, "Um…I have something I want to give you."

Merlin tilted his head, "Oh?" A small smile played on his lips, his eyes sparkling with excitement. It wasn't often Arthur gave Merlin random gifts. He should do it more often, because that look on Merlin's face was addicting.

"Yeah, so uh, you remember our camping trip, right?"

Merlin scoffed, "Yes, we almost died." He folded his hands on his book, waiting for Arthur to continue.

"Right…well, before we almost drowned to death, the day before, in the caves, I found something-"

"What? You found something? Why didn't you tell me? What is it?" Merlin leaned in, intrigued and a bit annoyed. He squinted his eyes, hiding some of the brilliant blue.

Arthur dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the round metal he had discovered in the cave. He had done research and discovered it was a sigil. "The dove means constant love, a harbinger of good tidings." Merlin took it from his hands, mesmerized by the glint of gold.

"It's…wow," He breathed, smiling. Arthur grinned and rubbed his hands together, the surprise wasn't over yet. "Why did you wait so long to show me?" Merlin asked, pulling Arthur from his silent worry.

Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes again. They were calming, serene, and it helped to control his nerves long enough so he could turn and face Merlin completely. Merlin smile as he furrowed his brow. "What has gotten into you?" Merlin's expression changed from amused to exasperated, "Do you need something? What is it, money, sex, all the above?"

Arthur couldn't help it. He chuckled and shook his head, "No…not quite. You're right though, I do want something, but it's something that money can't buy and sex can't complete, Merlin, I-" Arthur choked, his nerves tightened his throat. He let out a long breath and continued, "Remember when we met? I ran into you in the bookstore?"

Merlin rolled his eyes, "More like tackled me, but yes, go on." He leaned on his knees, his head in his hands.

"Well, after I said sorry, you brushed me off and called me a 'prat'."

Merlin gasped, "You heard that?" Arthur laughed and nodded. "Jesus, Arthur, why did you ask me out? I was so annoyed with you and thought you were a pompous dick."

Arthur laughed nervously, "Because I knew behind your annoyance with me, there was something more. There was something about you, and I couldn't put my finger on it, but once I did…Merlin, you captured my interest the moment you called me a 'prat'. I'm-" His voice shook, "-I'm glad I continued to bug you and learn more about you. Never have I found someone who loves me not because I'm rich, but because they saw something under the title of Uther Pendragon's Son. You saw my insecurities and accepted them, you know I let things get to my head, but you love me anyway." Arthur leaned back so he could reach into his other pocket.

Merlin sat up straighter, "Arthur, what-" He took an intake of breath and slapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes widened, brimming with tears.

Arthur held a little, black felt box in his hands, his fingers trembling as he peeled back the lid. Arthur was shaking, he couldn't ask the questions, _the_ question. Arthur sat there with an open mouth, his words caught in his throat.

He didn't have to worry about asking the question though. Merlin flung himself into Arthur, knocking him back on the couch, kissing him fiercely. The words didn't have to come out of Arthur's mouth, because Merlin already knew.

Merlin's hands clutched at Arthur's blonde strands. His kisses became more urgent, wanting. Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin, clutching the little, black box. Merlin pulled away and smiled. "Yes," he whispered, "Yes, forever and always."

Arthur gazed into his eyes while he processed Merlin's words. His heart burst in his chest, overwhelming him with joy and love and happiness. All he could do was watch Merlin's eyes light up, sparkling like sapphires, and even the black of his pupils couldn't stifle the gleam of his eyes.

When he finally found his voice, he whispered, "Yeah?"

Merlin laughed, his chest rumbling against Arthur's, "Yes. I love you, my clotpole."

Arthur smiled, "I love you too, my idiot."


	26. Day Twenty Six: Marriage

Day Twenty Six: Marriage:

Merlin's hands shook as he tried to flatten his hair. His fingers worked delicately around the dark locks, begging them to stay down. After a few moments of this, he growled in frustration and settled on rustling it up.

His hands dropped down by his sides and his shoulder's slumped in defeat. He only wanted perfection, was that too much to ask?

He gave a startled jump when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he said. He looked over his shoulder and grinned half-heartedly at his guest. Castiel's head peaked around the corner, his smile disappearing when he saw Merlin's miserable expression.

"What's wrong? I thought weddings were supposed to be happy?" Castiel walked over to Merlin, his head tilted to the right; Merlin chuckled.

"Yes, they are, but it's gotta be perfect and so far that is not the case. My hair won't cooperate, my hands keep shaking, I keep forgetting my vows and I'm worried I'll disappoint Arthur and…It's just, a mess." Merlin's frantic hand gestures ceased immediately, and fell back down to his sides, slapping his thighs.

Cas chewed the inside of his cheek as he examined the flustered boy in front of him. He reached out and straightened Merlin's tie. His hands moved up to Merlin's hair, flattening the fly-aways, before finally settling on Merlin's shoulders.

Castiel looked Merlin in the eyes and squeezed his shoulders, "Arthur will be happy to be marrying you no matter what. He'll steady your hands, he'll be your reminder when you forget your words, and he will be far from disappointed when he sees you in this suit."

Merlin chuckled as tears formed in his eyes, "This is really happening, huh?" Cas nodded. "Well then, better get on with it, Arthur'll think I pulled a Julia Roberts' on him." Cas squinted in confusion. Merlin laughed and shook his head, "Come on, best man." He slapped Cas on the back as they exited the room.

Arthur and Dean were already at St. Mary's Chapel. They both wanted to get married at sundown in the Abbey ruins. It was something different, something unique, and for Merlin, it held a deeper meaning. He couldn't really explain it to Arthur, but once he saw pictures of the chapel by Glastonbury Tor, he knew that it was special and he knew that it was meant to happen.

Merlin's nerves crept up on him again as he was driving to the chapel. It was hard to get a good grasp on the steering wheel with his sweaty palms. "This is a good place, right, Cas? It's not clichéd or…stupid….right?" Merlin looked to Cas, keeping one eye on the road.

"No, I think it's a great idea! I mean, do people usually get married in the ruins by an old church?" Castiel asked seriously.

This made Merlin chuckle, "No, they don't." Merlin took a deep breath as his gaze looked up to the abandoned tower on top of the hill. The sunset was perfect, all gold and pink and orange, silhouetting the little town. This calmed Merlin's nerves a bit. He had been afraid that it would be cloudy or that it would rain, but the weather was on his side today. The sky had been blue, the sun shone brightly, and now the sunset created a calming, romantic mood for the night.

When they pulled up to the chapel, Dean's car was already out front. There was no sign of Arthur and his best man. All was still and silent.

Cas nudged Merlin, "You ready?" Merlin nodded and Cas gestured for him to follow. "Breathe Merlin, you look fine, the chapel looks stunning against the sky; Arthur is one lucky man."

Cas was right; the setting sun cast eerie shadows over the crumpled stones and archways. Overgrown flowers and grass covered fallen pieces of wall. A startled bird took off, disappearing into the radiance of the sunset. The sweet, warm smell of honeysuckle was overpowering and soothing.

No outside noise could be heard in the ruins. No sound of cars or children playing; just their footsteps stepping softy onto the springy grass.

As they neared the alter Merlin's heart pounded against his chest. All he could hear was the rushing of blood and his heartbeat. He took a few deep breaths, clenched and unclenched his fists, and looked for Arthur. He knew if he could just catch Arthur's eye he would calm down. Arthur made him feel happy, safe.

Once he did catch Arthur's eye, he couldn't peel his gaze away from his sky blue eyes. Merlin had a glimpse at Arthur in his suit, pressed and looking extravagant as usual, but Merlin was more interested in the affectionate look upon Arthur's face.

His smile was bright and warm and his eyes sparkled. Merlin could feel his cheeks blush and was thankful for the dim lighting. He tried to say "You look good", but all that came out was a breathy "Hi", like he was a shy schoolboy. He regretted even opening his mouth. His throat tightened and nervous tears threatened to pour down his cheeks. Merlin glanced down at his feet and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the tears back.

He was afraid to open his eyes, the tears were persistent. He didn't want to cry, not yet. This was it; this was the moment his life would change forever. He was finally going to marry Arthur. His lip trembled as Arthur slipped his hand into Merlin's.

Merlin slowly opened his eyes and looked to Arthur. He was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one fighting back tears. Arthur whispered back, "Hi." Merlin let out a watery laugh and pressed the side of his body to Arthur. The heat radiating off of Arthur calmed Merlin's shaking hands and shallow breathing.

Cas stood on Merlin's left and Dean on Arthur's right. They were both smiling like idiots. _This'll be you one day, just you wait._ Merlin thought.

Merlin's attention was brought back to the alter when he heard someone clearing their throat. Lancelot stood behind the disintegrating stone, smiling at two of his best friends.

"Ready?" He whispers.

Arthur squeezes Merlin's hand, "Ready as I'll ever be." He looks to Merlin, a small smile playing on his lips. Merlin returns the smile and nods.

"Well let's get started. This evening we gather to celebrate the unity of Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys."

Merlin gripped Arthur's hand, holding it so tight, his hands shook. Arthur rubbed his thumb over the back of Merlin's hand, soothing him. Merlin took a deep breath and smiled. Lance continued, not noticing the subtle exchange between the two.

"I was told that you have both prepared vows for each other?" Merlin and Arthur nodded. "If you would turn to face each other, grasp each other's hands, I will bind them, and then you may recite your vows."

Lance wrapped a red ribbon around their hands, uniting them, binding them together. When he was finished, Lance rested his hand upon theirs for a brief second, praying to which ever God was listening. He removed his hand and spoke, "Arthur, if you would look to Merlin and recite your vows." He swept his hand from Arthur to Merlin, but Arthur was already looking at Merlin, his sapphire eyes never left Merlin's.

Arthur cleared his throat and began, "Merlin, I…I don't even know where to begin, to sum up what it means to be with you." Arthur's voice began to crack. "You taught me how to stand up to my father and make my own choices. You laugh at my stupid jokes, even when they are terribly delivered and make no sense at all. You-you've picked me up when I was down and never once, have you given up on me." Arthur's eyes brimmed with tears and Merlin just wanted to hold him close and tell him how much he loved him, but he had to wait his turn. "You've brought light into my life. You've brought happiness, joy, and laughter. Merlin Emrys, I vow to never give up on you, to honor and cherish you, to respect and trust you. I promise these things until we both take our last breaths. I vow to love you forever and always." Arthur bit his bottom lip, holding back the tears that threatened to surface.

Merlin on the other hand, had let the dam of tears go. He gave Arthur a watery smile and looked at Lance, who nodded for him to start. He looked to Arthur and taking a deep breath, he began, "Have you ever heard the saying 'You can meet someone for the first time, but feel in your heart that you've known them forever'? Every day since I've met you, I couldn't shake this feeling. Every little thing you did sparked a new memory in me, almost like déjà vu. Like how you always ask me to tie your tie, even though you are perfectly capable of doing so. Or how you come to me for advice no matter what the situation is." Merlin squeezed Arthur's hand. His legs trembled and his throat closed up. Arthur returned the pressure, willing him to go on. "Arthur, we were destined to be together, lifetime after lifetime, Merlin and Arthur, forever. You have shown me love and kindness, even though I was different. I vow to show you the same love and kindness that you've shown me. I vow to honor, respect, and cherish you today, tomorrow, forever, and even in the next lifetime."

The tears had started rolling down Arthur's cheeks, but he did nothing to stop them. They were a blubbering mess. Lance unwound the ribbon and placed a tiny pillow with two golden rings on the edge of the alter.

"The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you may now exchange your rings," Lance said, gesturing at the little pillow.

Arthur reached out and picked up Merlin's ring, "Merlin, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you." With shaky hands, Arthur slid the ring on Merlin's finger.

Merlin took Arthur's ring off the pillow and held Arthur's hand, "Arthur, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you." Merlin slid the ring on Arthur's finger and instead of pulling his hand away, Merlin entwined their fingers together.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you spouses for life."

Merlin pulled Arthur closer and kissed him, slowly and passionately. He could faintly hear Cas, Dean, and Lance clapping and hollering in the background, but nothing else mattered to Merlin in that moment. Right now, it was Merlin and Arthur, only them, forever and always.


	27. Day Twenty Seven: One of Their Birthdays

Day Twenty Seven: On One of Their Birthdays:

Castiel looked in the mirror, squinting at his reflection. This was him. This was Castiel. He no longer had the angelic face or the sweet, melodic voice of his celestial form.

He was just…human.

Castiel sighed and rubbed his face. Today marked the anniversary of his fall from grace to be by Dean's side. While Cas loved being with Dean and learning about being human, the memories of Heaven lingered in his heart. He missed it, and every day he was reminded of his choice, although he didn't regret it for a second. He could no longer perform even the smallest feats of angelic power. Last time he had attempted to move the clouds to show the shining stars above, nothing had happened.

"Hey grumpy, why the long face?" Dean asked as he nudged past Cas to get to the sink. He was wearing only boxers, his hair a disheveled, slept on mess.

Cas shrugged, but didn't say anything, avoiding eye contact with their reflections. Dean watched him intently in the mirror as he brushed his teeth, concern written on his face.

He spit out his mouthful of white foam and pointed his toothbrush at Cas' reflection, "Something's up. Spit it out. Wait a minute. I know." Dean rinsed the toothpaste from his mouth, threw his toothbrush into the cup, and sprinted out of the bathroom. Cas looked on with interest.

"Well come here, I'm not giving it to you in the bathroom!" called Dean from the next room. Cas smiled and wondered what Dean had for him.

He left the bathroom and went into the bedroom where Dean was kneeling on the floor in front of a box. Cas' curiosity spiked. Anything could be in that box…but what was it? He tried to peek around Dean's shoulders, but he was hunched over enough to hide whatever it was.

"Cas! Come here. I wanna show you something." Dean motioned for Cas to come over.

He tried to hide his excitement by walking slowly, but it turned out to be more of a fast walk. He was at Dean's side in no time. "Hey, hey, no peeking." Dean held out a hand, a sly smile playing on his face.

Cas took a step back and waited. Finally, Dean stood up and held out a lumpy, brown package. "Did you think I was going to forget about your 'birthday', Cas?" He said with a smile.

The former angel's eyes lit up with excitement as he reached out for his 'birthday' gift. He dropped down to the floor and started unwrapping the package. Dean sat down right in front of him, their knees touching. He watched Cas as he tore off the string and ripped through the paper.

His fingers shook with excitement as he tore the last of the paper away. On his lap sat a badly folded article of clothing. "I, um, remembered how you said you needed a proper coat for this London weather so I got you a trench coat. You like it?" Dean looked at Cas hopefully, waiting.

Cas ran his fingers over the material and lifted his head to look at Dean. "This…this is…" Cas bit his bottom lip, his eyes sparkling.

Dean waited for Cas to speak, but there was only one way Cas wanted to thank Dean, and it didn't involve talking.

He tossed the coat to the side and pounced on his boyfriend. He placed both hands on his bare chest and pushed him roughly onto the carpet. Cas positioned himself on top of Dean, straddling him, and leaned in, sealing their lips together.

Dean let out a small gasp of surprise. He gripped Cas' sides in large hands, stroking the soft skin as the former angel rolled his hips, rubbing their clothing clad cocks together. Dean moaned against Cas' lips; they were warm and soft; his angel tasted of minty fresh toothpaste. This certainly wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

Cas' fingers trailed down Dean's toned chest, sending shivers up his spine. He clawed at Cas' sweatpants and tried pulling them down, but Cas smacked his hands away before slipping his own paws into Dean's boxers. He grabbed his ass as he grinded down on him.

Dean squirmed under Cas; his angel turned him on so much it hurt. He wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off and ravish him. "Jesus, Cas," he breathed. He felt Castiel's smile against his lips as he circled his hips slowly. He squirmed beneath him, needing more friction, but Cas seemed content to keep fucking his hips in those slow, lazy movements.

"Cocktease," he growled.

Cas hummed in agreement and bit his lip gently, soothing the flesh with the trace of his tongue. The little fucker was going to torture him; not gonna happen.

"Oh no, not this time, Cas. It's _your_ birthday, I'm going to treat _you_." Dean held on to Cas' hips and with ease, rolled him onto his back, reversing their positions. Cas' eyes widened, his pupils lust blown.

Dean wasted no time. He grabbed fistfuls of Cas' pants and yanked them off. "You know," Dean drawled, placing a kiss on Cas' knee, relishing the little whimpers he was making "If you keep wearing my clothes," he paused, trailing kisses on the soft skin of Cas' inner thigh, "I'm not going to have any clean laundry for myself and I'll have to walk around naked all the time."

Cas' fingers scratched at the carpet, "Dean," he breathed. He was wound tight like a spring, heat coiling in his belly. He wanted Dean to touch him, every inch of him, but Dean deliberately steered clear of Cas' throbbing cock. He placed kisses along Cas' jutting hip bones, scraping his teeth along the cut muscle. He drifted lower, nuzzling his length before sucking at the sensitive skin of his balls.

"Dean, please," he groaned, back arching off the carpet. Smiling, Dean decided Cas had taken enough and ran his tongue along the underside of his cock. Cas moaned in relief, relishing the touch. He jutted his hips, begging for Dean to take him. Dean kissed the tip of his cock and slid his tongue into the slit, tasting the sweet drops of pre come budding there.

Dean hummed in satisfaction. The flavor of Cas was addictive. "Baby, you taste so good." Cas squirmed at Dean's words, his head thunking back onto the carpet, his eyes closed, and his mouth opened in ecstasy.

Dean gripped the base of Cas' cock as he suckled at the head. He took him slowly until the tip of his cock touched the back of his throat. Dean hollowed his cheeks and bobbed his head up and down in time with the movements of his hand. It was heaven. It was hell. God, it was perfect.

Cas's hands moved from the carpet to tangle in Dean's soft, short hair as the pleasure rose inside of him. He caressed the back of Dean's head and neck as he rolled his hips, fucking into his mouth. Close; he was so close. Dean moaned against Cas' cock as it hit the back of his throat. The vibration sent Cas over the edge. He arched his back and yelled out as his body quaked with his orgasm.

Dean swallowed every drop like it was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. He crawled over Cas' body to give him a lingering kiss. They lay side by side, Dean smiling at the glowing boy next to him. Cas looked over, his eyes half lidded; he looked completely blissed out. "Best birthday present…ever."

Dean chuckled, "It's your first birthday present ever." Cas rolled over to snuggle into Dean's side. When he wrapped his legs around him he felt his lover's cock pressed to his hip, rock hard.

"Hm, maybe we should take care of that." He stood, holding his hand out for Dean, who took it. Cas wasted no time to rip off Dean's boxers. He pulled him in for a passionate, hungry kiss. Dean started walking back towards the bed, but Cas stopped him and shook his head, "Oh no, you're coming with me." Cas took Dean's hand and led him to the bathroom.

He shoved Dean into the shower and turned the tap on. Hot water cascaded down on them as Cas pushed Dean against the wall, pressing up against him, and smothering him in wet kisses.

"Fuck…" Dean breathed as Cas sucked on his collarbone, licking the trail of water from it. He grabbed Cas' ass and pulled him against his hips. Their bare cocks brushed against each other, issuing a moan from Dean. He rolled his hips to meet Cas' again and Cas bit down on Dean's shoulder at the raw contact, his spent cock stirring back to life.

"I want you to fuck me," Cas whispered.

Dean's heart raced as Cas turned his back to him, watching mesmerized as the water trailed down his lean back. Dean guided him to the wall of the shower and ran a soothing hand down his back. Cas flattened his palms on the tile and took a deep breath.

Dean looked around the shower, his eyes landing on the conditioner. He poured some into his hand, covering his fingers. He snaked one arm around Cas' middle, forcing him to bend over. He brushed at his entrance, and Cas moaned rocking back into Dean's hand.

Dean gently pushed a finger inside making Cas thrust back, trying to fuck himself on his fingers, begging for more. He inserted another digit, working Cas nice and loose for him. "Oh shit, Dean, please," Cas moaned wantonly.

Dean pulled his fingers out and positioned himself behind Cas. He used his foot to kick open Cas' legs. The blunt head of his cock brushed Cas' hole; he shuddered and groaned. Then very slowly, Dean slid home.

His body exploded with the feeling; Cas was so tight and so perfect around him. Dean stood there losing himself in the feeling, and then he slowly pulled out and slammed back in. Cas clawed at the tile as Dean hit his sweet spot. Dean wrapped his hand around Cas' middle again, finding his arousal. He stroked Cas roughly, fucking him hard. Cas pushed back into Dean, begging for him to keep moving.

Dean wasn't going to last. Cas was so tight and hot around him. Listening to the sounds he made, at the movements he was making, it was too much. Cas threw his head back and his toes curled. Dean was filled with awe that this man was his. "Baby, Cas, so beautiful."

"Dean," He whimpered. His hand slipped so his forearm was resting on the wall. He leaned his head on it and let out another whimper.

Dean quickened, the sight of Cas melting and coming undone because of Dean, made his head spin. The pressure finally exploded, sending Dean over the edge. He gripped Cas' hips and cock as he came. Seconds later, Cas was coming in his hand, crying out Dean's name.

Cas went limp under Dean's hold as he pulled out. Dean hooked an arm under his knees and carried him to the bed. "Be right back," he whispered. He turned and shut off the water and grabbed a towel. When he returned Cas' eyes were closed, but a small smile played on his lips. Dean walked over and starting with his arms, he dried Cas off. He rubbed small circles into Cas' muscles. Working down his arms, over his chest, and down to his legs, he watched Cas sink into the sheets, melt under his touch. Dean loved it; he loved watching Cas come undone, whether it was while he stood behind him thrusting into him, or now with soft, gentle touches.

Cas hummed his approval, "Thank you, Dean, for everything." Dean tossed the towel aside and lay next to Cas. Cas curled into Dean, nuzzling into his chest. Dean wrapped his arms around him and kissed his temple.

"You're welcome, Cas. I love you."

"I love you, too."


	28. Day Twenty Eight: Something Ridiculous

Day Twenty Eight: Doing Something Ridiculous:

Dean wakes up with a throbbing headache. He flings his arm over his eyes, shielding his face from the ray of sunshine shining through the living room window. _What the hell did I drink last night? _He removes his arm to assess the damage.

Glancing down he notices he's only in his boxers. At least it's better than the last time he was this drunk. Arthur had found him in nothing but his socks and wearing sunglasses and a tie around his head.

Besides a pounding headache, he realizes his shoulder is sore. He looks down and sees faint teeth marks. _Damn Cas._

He stinks of sweat and alcohol. Dean whips his head around the room, which he regrets doing immediately. His head pounds as he gets up to look for his clothes and his boyfriend.

Not only does he fail at finding his clothes from last night, but Cas was nowhere to be seen either. "Cas?" He isn't in the living room. Dean checks out the bathroom, his stomach flip flopping, hoping he wouldn't find him passed out in a pool of his own vomit.

But the bathroom is empty. As is the kitchen and the two bedrooms. Harley weaves in and out of Dean's legs, mewling for food.

"Alright, alright, calm yourself Harley. If you haven't noticed, you've got a missing Cas."

Dean feeds Harley and dials Arthur and Merlin. Maybe Cas is at their place.

"Hello?"

"Arthur, it's Dean. Is Cas there?"

"Uh, no, why?"

_Shit. _

"He's not here either."

Arthur scoffs, "What did ya loose him?"

Dean runs a hand through his hair, "Arthur, this isn't time for jokes. Cas was rip roarin' drunk last night. Hell, all of us were. Jesus, he could be anywhere."

"You really don't remember last night, do you? Maybe he crashed at Gwaine's or Jack's?"

Dean starts to panic. He could care less about what he did last night. Cas could be lost in an unknown part of the city. Or he could be-

_No, Dean, don't even think about it. _

"I'm gunna need your help, Arthur. We gotta find Cas."

**~Thirteen Hours Earlier~ **

"Dean…Dean, come on!" Cas stands in the doorway of the bathroom, arms folded in irritation. Dean shrugs his coat on and turns to Cas.

"Have to look good, don't I?" He gives Cas a wink and does a little spin for him to admire his clothing choice. Dark wash jeans, grey Henley, and his black, leather jacket; yeah, Dean looked…more than good, and if they didn't get out now, Cas would rip his clothes off and they'd never get a night out with friends.

Cas hid his obvious attraction to Dean's clothing choice, and rolled his eyes, "Yes, Dean, you look very nice. Can we go?"

Dean frowned, "What's got your panties in a bunch?"

"I want to go Dean, we were supposed to be there fifteen minutes ago!" Cas said, looking down at his watch. Dean checks his watch too.

"Oh shit, why didn't you say something?" Dean rushes into the kitchen and pockets his wallet, phone, and keys. "Come on, what are ya waiting for?"

Cas aims to smack Dean upside the head, but Dean ducks and races out the door, laughing like an idiot.

Little does Dean know, Cas has already gotten his revenge on his unsuspecting boyfriend.

When they finally arrive at the bar, the whole group is already there. Dean takes Cas' hand and leads him to the table.

"Hey, look who finally decided to show up!" Gwaine yells, raising his glass of beer to the two boys. Cas smirks and elbows Dean in the ribs.

"This one here had to make sure he looked perfect."

Jack, who was sitting at the end of the table, places a hand over his heart and says to Dean, "Aw, you shouldn't have Dean. You look pretty in anything." Gwaine and Jack crack up while Dean blushes and tries not to throw them the finger.

Cas tugs at Dean's hand, "What do you want to drink? I'll get it for you."

"Uh, Guinness; thanks Cas," he answers. He leans in and places a thank you kiss on Cas' lips.

Cas walks up to the bar and signals for the bartender who strolls over, "What can I get ya?"

Cas leans forward and orders, "I'll have two Guinness." The bartender gives Cas a smile and nods. "Thanks," Cas says, slipping the bartender a few extra bucks.

Cas returns with the beers in hand. He hands Dean his and settles into a chair and joins the conversation.

"…I'm just sayin', I bet a hundred bucks and my left nut that you wouldn't do it, Dean," Jack chugs back the last drops of his beer and points at Dean.

Cas looks between the two and tilts his head, "Do what, Dean?" Gwaine snorts into his beer and Arthur and Merlin snigger while Dean stares down at the menu, not making eye contact with Cas.

"Yeah, Dean, tell Cas what you got yourself into." Dean shoots Gwaine a look.

"You're a douchebag, you know that right?" Dean takes a sip of his beer and turns to Cas. "They bet me that I wouldn't do a strip tease."

Cas laughed, "Well, that's a stupid bet. You've stripped for me befo-umph" Dean shoved a cracker in Cas' mouth.

"Okay there chatty Kathy. No need to tell the world." But Dean's efforts were too late. Everyone was howling with laughter while Dean reddened for the second time that night.

"So…mister strip tease… one hundred bucks says you won't give Cas here a little public lap dance." Jack leans forward, an eyebrow quirked, challenging Dean.

Cas' eyes widened and he looked to Dean. Dean licked his lips in seriously concentration. _He wouldn't do that in public…would he? _To Cas' surprise Dean reached across the table and held a hand out to Jack, "Deal, but let me get a few drinks in first. Fucker."

Everyone around the table whooped and hollered, everyone except Cas. Strip teases were his and Dean's private thing.

Dean leaned in and whispered in Cas' ear, "Is this okay with you?" Cas hesitated, but nodded his head. How bad could it be?

Three rounds of beers later, endless shots, and their table was the loudest, rowdiest bunch in the pub. They had sung two ballads, confessed to their dirtiest sexual exploits, and fought over who would win in the upcoming football match.

Dean leaned into Cas, placing his hand far up Cas' thigh. "I'm gunna hit the bathroom," he yelled over Gwaine's roaring laughter, and then whispered, "Get ready, baby." He squeezed Cas' thigh and left the table.

"What's up Cas, you look like you just got frisked," Arthur yelled across the table.

"I think he did!" Gwaine answered, chugging the last drops of his beer. Cas smiled shyly and tried to cover the strain against his jeans.

Seconds later everyone in the pub was hushed into silence.

"CAS!"

Cas jumped in his seat and swiveled to face the bathroom. Every head was turned in the same direction. Merlin sat down next to Cas, "What did you do?" His face was serious, but Cas was doing all he could to hold in his laughter.

"I sewed his boxers shut."

Their table roared with laughter. Dean exited the bathroom and Cas prepared for the storm. But instead of being enraged, Dean came out of the bathroom looking a hot mess.

Cas' mouth popped open and the strain on his jeans became tighter.

Dean's pants were undone and slung low on his hips. The top of his black boxers peeked over the denim and his shirt rode up, revealing a smattering of hair that vanished into the waistband of the black fabric. His hair was disheveled; looking exactly like it does when he wakes up. He was wearing a smirk that told Cas he was done for.

He felt a pat on his back and turned to find Jack and Gwaine, eyebrows wagging and wearing shit eating grins. Cas was about to growl a retort when he felt hands on his thighs. Slowly, he turned around and came face to face with smoldering, green eyes.

"Hello, Cas."

_Fuck. _

Cas swallowed the lump in his throat and let his eyes trail down to Dean's exposed boxers. "He-hey …Dean." Dean licked his lips again, tightening his grip on Cas' legs.

"Nice trick you played." Dean glanced at the obvious bulge in his pants. Then without warning, he grabbed the sides of Cas' chair and pulled it into the middle of the room. Cas grasped Dean's arms so he wouldn't fall. He could hear their table clapping and cheering Dean on. Cas couldn't believe Dean was actually about to strip for him in front of all these strangers.

"Dean…Dean, you don't have to do this," Cas whispered, holding up his hands.

Dean tilted his head, "Why, is this not your thing?" Dean let his jacket slip down off his shoulders, revealing the grey Henley clinging to every muscle. Cas felt his mouth go dry as he openly stared. Maybe this is his thing. As it slid all the way down, he tossed his coat off to the side; some chick at the bar caught it. By this time the whole pub was yelling for Dean to "take it off!"

Cas could feel his face heating up as he buried his head in his hands, embarrassed to be in the center of this. Dean gently removed Cas' hands from his face. He leaned in close, eyes burning into his and says, "Don't make me tie you up." Coils of heat wound through Cas' body. He had no doubt that Dean would follow through; he doesn't know whether to be still or to squirm until he makes good on his threat. He can't decide if this is the hottest or stupidest thing Dean's ever done. Then he leaned in and kissed him, fierce and possessive. Yeah, definitely the hottest. The crowed catcalled as Dean broke away, and Cas looked nervously at the spectators.

Cas folded his hands and laid them on his lap, trying to cover up the obvious. Dean stepped back, raising his hand, and gave the bartender a nod. The radio stopped abruptly, creating static over the speakers. The silence was almost instantly broken when Def Leppard's, 'Pour Some Sugar on Me', came on over the speakers.

"Oh my god," Cas breathed. "You're really doing this aren't you?" Dean stepped back, rocking his hips to the beat, "Oh dear lord, you are…holy shit." Cas slouched in his seat, his hands coming over his face again, but this time he peeked through his fingers. He secretly wanted this, but he wouldn't admit it.

Dean crossed his arms, grabbing the hem of his shirt. He winked at Cas and slowly lifted his Henley up over his head, unveiling defined abs and a toned chest shining with a sheen of sweat. More cheers, some catcalls, and Cas is beat red, biting his lip.

He rocked his hips to the beat, a little unsteady on drunken feet, but it still made Cas squirm. Dean sauntered closer to Cas, who held out his hands. "Dean, oh my god!" He was lost in laughter as Dean stood on Cas' chair, two feet on either side of him. He held on to Dean's legs, afraid he would topple over. But to everyone's surprise, Dean was able to dance on the chair without falling. His talent elicited more screams from the crowd, especially when he dipped his hips down and danced right over top of Cas.

Never has Cas seen Dean like this, completely uninhibited and unashamed. It's new, and a bit embarrassing, but it is still hot. Cas couldn't stop smiling and laughing. Not even when Dean finished with his chair dance, or when he jumped down and turned to give Cas a passionate kiss. Then Dean unzipped his pants the rest of the way, his eyes burning into his boyfriend's. He pulled his jeans off slowly over the jut of his hipbone and strong thighs before kicking them off the rest of the way. But as soon as he hooked his thumbs into his boxers, Cas shot out of his chair and grabbed Dean's hands, "Whoa, there Dean, no public display of your privates, that's for my eyes only," he whispered. Dean smiles and gives him another kiss. Everyone cheers as the song ends.

He pointed at Jack, "You owe me one hundred dollars…and your left nut!"

Cas started back to their table, but Dean grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, "Oh no, you're coming with me." Dean dragged Cas towards the entrance to the pub without grabbing his clothes.

The cool night air was a rush of relief from the hot, stuffy pub. Cas had a moment to enjoy the silence and fresh air before Dean tugged him into an alley, shoving him against the brick wall. With fervent desire, Dean's lips were instantly on Cas'. The hot coils in Cas' stomach burst, spreading through every limb, every nerve ending. Every touch of Dean's hands burned his body. His hands traveled up the back of Cas' shirt, Dean's nails scratched at his skin. Cas' hands had wandered down to Dean's boxers, his hands clutching at his ass, pulling his hips against his.

Their tongues danced against each other as Dean began a rhythm, grinding their hips together in slow, languorous circles. Cas broke the kiss, gasping for air. His lips found Dean's neck and freckled shoulders. His teeth scraped at the taut line of muscle in Dean's neck before he sucked on it, tasting the sweet sweat. He moaned as the taste exploded on his tongue.

Dean shifted so his cock was grinding into Cas leg. His hips moved frantically against Cas' thigh, but Cas could barely feel Dean's thigh against his cock and right now all he wanted was sweet, sensual contact. "Dean, I want you to touch me, please." Cas groaned against Dean's shoulder.

Dean trailed a hand over Cas' crotch, making his hips buck for more. He skillfully undid Cas' jeans. He slid a hand into his pants, forcing them down. Just this little act, the simple dropping of his pants in an alleyway, exposed to the world, made Cas' head spin and his stomach clench with desire.

Knowing exactly how to get to Cas, Dean ran the back of his hand over his erection. Enough touch for a moan to escape Cas' lips, but not enough to satisfy. Dean's hips circled slowly now, torturing them both. "Fuck Dean, touch me." He pushed his crotch against Dean's thigh.

"Like this?" Dean slid his hand into Cas' boxers and wrapped his fingers around Cas' cock. Cas' head fell forward, his forehead resting on his shoulder. As Dean stroked Cas, he continued to roll his hips against Cas' thigh.

Cas felt light headed as Dean's fingers swirled around his entire length, ending with his thumb rubbing small circles around the tip, spreading the drops of come over his sensitive skin. Cas bit down on Dean's clavicle as he felt the pressure building. Dean fucked Cas' thigh harder as Cas' body shook with the effort to hold himself up.

He slipped his hands into Dean's boxers, stroking him, helping him come with him. Cas screamed against Dean's shoulder and Dean whispered Cas' name as they came, together, by the dim light of the moon.

Cas licked at the bite marks he left on Dean's shoulder. "Sorry," he whispered with a breathy laugh.

Dean, who was leaning his body against Cas' smiled, "Cas, you can leave as many marks as you want." Cas smiled and kissed his shoulder.

Dean stepped away from Cas and leaned down to help him with his pants. Cas grabbed them as they reached his upper thigh. He had just started buttoning them up when a voice echoed down the alley.

"Hey! What are you two up to? No fucking each other in public!"

"Oh shit!" Dean grabbed Cas' arm and pulled Cas along as the cop chased them down the alley. "Run, Cas!"

Cas tried to keep up, but he was still recuperating from the internal bliss. He craned his neck over his shoulder and saw that the cop was still on their tail. In that small moment, he no longer felt Dean pulling on his arm. He whipped his head back around to follow Dean, but he wasn't there.

Cas panicked and started running faster. He wasn't sure where he was going. His breath was ragged and his legs screamed, begging for him to stop running. He lost count of how many random turns he took and he was no doubt lost now, but he had to get away. Once he felt he lost the cop he turned around to see if he was right.

He was. Which was great and all, but now he was lost. He stopped running and bent over, hands on his knees, chest heaving. He felt sick.

He stumbled to the nearest garbage can and emptied the contents of his stomach. When he was done retching, he stood up and looked around.

Yeah, definitely lost. He had never seen this part of town before. It was run down and barren. The lawns were brown and unkempt. The chain fences surrounding the yards were bent and broken. A dog barked in the distance and Cas jumped when a rat ran out in front of him, squeaking down the side walk.

Cas wandered and wandered. Looking for anything familiar, but he only got himself more lost and confused. His chest felt heavy and his breathing was short, even though he had stopped running. He leaned against a pole and tried to catch his breath to fill his aching lungs, but no matter what he did, the air just left his body.

His head started spinning and he stumbled forward towards an alley. He tripped over discarded wood. On his way down, his head collided with metal piping. He gasped in pain, stars popped in front of his eyes.

Cas slid down a wall, tears forming in his eyes. His head throbbed. He reached up to assess the damage. When he pulled his hand away, he saw red, and lots of it. His stomach boiled again and he threw up on the ground next to him. He was dizzy and lightheaded and his thoughts were jumbled and made no sense to him.

_Why am I here? Where's Dean? _

Cas started shivering. He took his coat off and used it as a blanket. Lying down on the cold, hard ground, he closed his eyes, and tried to stay alive until morning.

"Dean, you need to breath. Don't worry, we'll find him."

Sam had an arm wrapped around his brother who was doubled over on a bench in the park. "Sammy, I can't…I need to find him."

Sam squeezed Dean's shoulders, "We will, here comes the detective now."

Part of Dean wanted the police to get involved and help, but the other half of him, the embarrassed half, wanted them as far away as possible.

"Hello, Dean is it? I'm Detective Morgan Cooper," A woman in her early thirties walked up to Dean and Sam. She wore a grey pea coat, black slacks, and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. She had a hardened expression, the one that says she's seen a lot. This made Dean queasy.

Dean held his hand out, "Yes, Dean, Dean Winchester, you'll be able to help right? I mean, you can find him…you will find him, won't you?" She let go of Dean's hand, inserting it back into her pocket.

"We will do what we can, but we need your full cooperation and attention to do so."

Dean nodded furiously, "Yes, anything. What do you need?"

For the next half hour, Dean recounted the events of the night before, well what he could remember. Arthur and Merlin helped him out with whatever happened in the bar. Dean didn't need help with what happened in the alley later, he would never forget that.

He stopped when he got to the point where he let go of Cas' hand to stop a couple from running into them. He had kept running, until he was two blocks from the apartment. He didn't want the cop to know where they lived. But turning around he saw no one.

"And you didn't think to stop and go back for him?"

Dean's face flushed, "I didn't…I thought…look, can we please look for him instead of sitting on our asses waiting for something to happen?" Dean stood up and ran his hands through his hair. Cas could be anywhere. He could be lost and hungry and hurt and Dean was sitting here talking to a detective.

Detective Cooper rose and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I understand you're scared, but Dean, we need all the information you can give us. It'll help us find him."

Dean sighed, "Alright…I didn't look for him because I thought he found another route. So when the coast was clear, I ran to our apartment and waited. I must've fallen asleep on the couch. Next thing I know it's morning and Cas isn't in the apartment." He turned to the detective, he was spent, exhausted, and all he wanted was Cas. He wanted to wrap his arms around him and kiss his soft hair, his long lashes, his chiseled abs, every inch.

Detective Cooper gave Dean a small smile, "Thank you." She turned around and with a booming voice she called the team over, "Alright, listen up! We got a white male, approximately 5' 11", black hair, blue eyes, athletic build. He was last seen around midnight in a one mile radius of the Round Table pub. Check every alley, every hospital for a John Doe or a Castiel-" Cooper turned to Dean with a quizzical look. Dean stepped forward, "Uh- Winchester, oh and he was wearing a tan trench coat. I had just bought it for his birthday and…" Dean trailed off, the lump in his throat stopping him from talking. The realization of the matter was starting to hit him. This search and rescue, this was for Cas…his Cas.

Cooper nodded, "Castiel Winchester. He may also have a tan trench coat on him. Alright, let's go people; we've got a missing person to find!" The crowd of rescuers dispersed as Cooper turned to Dean. "I'm gunna need you to come with me to the bar. You brought the article of clothing he was last wearing, correct?" Dean nodded and held up the bagged t-shirt. "Good, let's go find your boy."

When they arrived at the pub, Dean stepped out of the police car, Sam right behind him. Three search and rescue dogs were sitting outside the pub, ready to learn Cas' scent and find him. Cooper motioned for Dean to move forward. "Take out the shirt and let the dogs sniff it," she ordered.

Dean took out the grey, AC/DC shirt that Cas had been using as a bed time shirt. He wore it constantly; he was wearing it before he changed into his dark blue sweater for the pub. Dean held it out to the dogs, they sniffed it and immediately their noses went to the air and the ground.

"Wow, looks like they got a strong scent already. Get in boys; we're going to patrol by car."

They drove for an hour. Nothing over the radio. Nothing from the detection dogs, they had lost the scent a while back. Dean couldn't think straight. His thoughts were all over the place. If he had just held on. If he hadn't had drank so much. If he hadn't taken the stupid bet…

"Dean."

Cooper's soft voice made him jump. It was weird hearing such a soothing voice from her, "Don't blame yourself. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Dean nodded, but simple words weren't going to help.

They rode in silence, turning down streets, riding by alleys slowly. Nothing…and then…

"_Cooper, MISPER found, 11-41." _

Dean stared at the radio, then at Cooper. She had a straight face as she answered, "10-4, What's your twenty?"

"_Maple and North." _

Cooper switched on the siren and made a sharp right turn, "10-45?"

There was a pause on the radio. Dean's heart pounded. He didn't know what she asked, but it scared him that the person on the radio didn't respond right away.

"_Code 40." _

"Code 40? What's code 40?" Dean looked to Cooper. Her face was blank, concentrating on the road. Sam leaned forward in the back seat.

Cooper cleared her throat, "Code 40 means it's a serious case-"

"Serious?" Dean interjected. "How serious?"

"An ambulance was called in."

Dean stared at her, "An…an ambulance? What the- is he okay? Is he breathing? Ask him more questions! Is he talking?"

"Dean-," Sam started from the back of the seat. It was all he needed to say. Dean stared straight ahead, waiting to see lights, waiting to see the ambulance. Waiting to see Cas.

Dean sat up straight when they turned a corner and met the intimidating flashing lights of police cars and an ambulance. The car barely came to a stop when he jumped out.

"Cas! Castiel!" He ran straight for the ambulance, pushing past people on the sidewalks, who were craning to see what was happening. He was so close; he could see the yellow tape, the gurney…

"I'm sorry sir, you can't go through," An officer stuck his arm out, separating Dean from Cas.

"I'm with him! He's my…Cas is…please!" He pointed in the general direction of the scene, trying to communicate with this officer that he was Cas' boyfriend. Why didn't he understand?

His chest tightened and he was ready to punch the guy in the face when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Cooper showed her badge and lifted the tape for Dean and Sam to go through.

"Follow me," she ordered.

Sam placed a hand on Dean's shoulder, "You okay, Dean?"

"Yes." _No._

There were multiple people crowded in one area; surrounding a body on the ground. Dean's stomach lurched when he saw the tan trench coat, dirty and tossed to the side like garbage.

Seeing the coat like that, tattered and forgotten, it stirred something in him. Dean didn't care anymore, he needed to see Cas. With all manners thrown out the window, he pushed through the officers and medics. He fell to his knees when he reached Cas.

He was pale. So pale…but breathing, he was alive.

"Cas? Cas, hey it's me, it's Dean." Dean brushed the fringe off of Cas' forehead. He was burning up and he trembled at Dean's touch.

Cas' eyes fluttered opened and he stared up at the sky. Dean smiled and scooted closer, "Cas, buddy, it's me." Cas couldn't turn his head because of the neck brace, but his blue eyes slid over to meet Dean's and he smiled.

"Dean," he whispered hoarsely.

Dean laughed, "Yah, you're gunna be okay. They're gunna take you to the hospital now. Okay?"

Cas nodded as much as he could, his smile still on his face, "Stay with me?"

Dean looked up to Cooper. She was smiling and she nodded, "You can ride in the ambulance with him, but we need to go _now_."

Dean took Cas' hand and held on. He never let go of Cas' hand. Not when they lifted him onto the gurney. He held on even tighter in the ride to the hospital, reassuring Cas through all the bumps and dips in the road.

He finally had to let go when they wheeled him into the E.R.

Dean stood in the hallway, watching him disappear behind a curtain. He was okay. He'd be okay. He had to be.

Sam, Arthur, and Merlin joined him some time later. All four of them waited in the hallway. When the doctor finally came out of the room, Dean shot up out of his chair, "Doctor? How is he? What happened to him? Can I see him?"

The doctor held up his hands and smiled, "Castiel will be fine. We're going to need to keep him over night just to make sure he will recuperate properly. He was severely dehydrated, had a slight concussion, and had gone into stage one hypovolemic shock, but he is recovering very well under the circumstances." Dean gave a silent prayer to whoever was listening that a little bit of Cas' juice was still working.

"What's hypo-"

"Hypovolemic shock is when the body loses about one fifth of blood. He had hit his head and bled out. He had also been sweating profusely and vomiting, which were contributing factors."

Dean felt sick, but Cas was going to be okay, he would recover. He waited patiently for the doctor to allow him to go in. "Yes, Dean, you may go in, but one at a time please."

Dean pulled back the curtain and closed it behind him. Cas lay in the hospital bed, looking peaceful and surprisingly comfortable under the blankets. He had an I.V. trailing out of his arms, and he was hooked up to a monitor.

Dean approached the bed with caution, making sure he didn't startle him. He ran a finger over Cas' cheek, "Cas? Hey Castiel."

Again, Dean watched as Cas' eyes fluttered open, revealing his deep, blue eyes. He gave Dean a small smile and reached up to take Dean's hand. Dean sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his thumb over Cas' fingers, "I'm sorry, Cas. I'm sorry I let go. I'm sorry I-"

"No…Dean…it's okay. It's not your fault," he said, his eyes glistening with tears. Dean bent down and wrapped his arms around Cas, who returned the embrace. Dean buried his nose into the nape of Cas' neck and let the tears roll down his cheeks. Cas rubbed Dean's back, soothing him. "Hey…Dean, I'm going to be okay. I guess I still have some angel juice in me."

Dean chuckled and sat up, "Yeah, I guess you do." He watched as Cas' eyelids drooped and his mouth opened in a silent yawn. Dean brushed his fingers through Cas' hair and kissed his forehead, "Get some sleep, Cas, I'll be here to take you home tomorrow, okay?"

Cas nodded and closed his eyes. Dean stood up and just as he was about to leave the room Cas spoke.

"Dean?"

"Hm?"

Cas' smile was shy, "We should do that again."

Dean furrowed his brow, "Do what?"

"The alley…"

"Oh…you remember?"

"Of course I remember. How could I forget?"

Dean laughed a deep, full belly laugh, "Sleep well Cas. I love you."

"Hm, love you too, Dean."

**~The next day~ **

"Are your eyes closed?"

"Yes."

Dean waved a hand in front of Cas' face and proceeded to guide Cas through the front door and into their apartment. "Okay, open them," Dean said, once they were inside.

Cas opened one eye, then another and his mouth popped open when he saw what was fully in front of him.

"Do you like it?" Dean asked, squeezing Cas' hand.

"I…yes, thank you, Dean, but you didn't-"

Dean held a finger to Cas' lips, "No, I did. Come on."

He led Cas into the decorated living room. A banner hung up over the doors that led to the balcony, displaying the words 'Welcome Home, Cas'. There were candles lit on the table and kitchen counter. Two of Cas and Dean's favorite blankets were on the couch, waiting for their company. Harley was curled up and purring away on Dean's blanket. On the living room table were some of Cas' favorite movies.

"Before we sit down, I have something for you." Dean disappeared in their room and came out with Cas' trench coat in his hands. "I had it cleaned for you. Actually, if it wasn't for Detective Cooper, I would've had to buy you a new one." He handed the coat over to Cas, who took it and hugged it against his chest.

Cas turned to Dean and wrapped his arms around him, "You are incredible. I love you."

Dean wrapped Castiel in his arms, drinking in his warmth, "Come on, let's go watch some movies."

They watched hours of movies; just the two of them, cuddling next to each other on the couch. They didn't even make it to the bed that night. Castiel fell asleep right where he belonged; in Dean's arms.


End file.
